New tax proposals in Olympia would make Washington’s already over-taxed cannabis products even more expensive. Lawmakers are calling these new taxes “flat taxes.” They’re not. In reality, they would give a tax break to high-end, luxury products while jacking up the prices for everyone else. That means working people pay more, while those who can afford premium brands pay less. It’s a regressive tax hike.
Act now to help stop the new cannabis taxes.
Massive Tax Increase
Washington already taxes cannabis at 37% — the highest excise tax on legal cannabis in the world. New proposals would push that burden even higher. Some would increase the excise tax directly, while others would impose a so-called “flat tax” that would effectively double taxes on most products — and for some, triple or even quadruple them.
Hits Working Class Consumers Hardest
Some new proposals increase cannabis taxes across the board. Additional proposals reward luxury cannabis brands with lower taxes and punish consumers who choose more affordable products. That is the definition of a regressive tax.
Pushes People to the Illicit Market
When legal cannabis becomes too expensive, people don’t stop buying, they just turn to unregulated, untaxed illegal markets. That means unreliable products for consumers and less state tax revenue for critical services.
