Legalizing marijuana could bring windfall to state, if feds don't object

The Seattle Times (US)
Saturday, August 11, 2012

initiative-502

The initiative to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana in Washington, Initiative 502, was estimated on Friday to raise up to $1.9 billion in new tax revenue over five years — or zero. The wild swing, included in an analysis by the state Office of Financial Management, reflects broad uncertainty about the potential federal intervention in an initiative that would set up the nation's first regulated market for recreational marijuana use.