Changes to Money in the Marijuana Tax Cash Fund

Joint Budget Committee. Under current law, the general assembly is required to annually appropriate $3 million from the marijuana tax cash fund (fund) to the board of regents of the university of Colorado for the implementation of the medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program (program). For state fiscal years commencing on and after July 1, 2025, the bill ends the requirement to annually appropriate $3 million but allows the general assembly to choose to appropriate money for the implementation of the program. Accordingly, the cash funds appropriation from the fund made in the general appropriation act for the 2025-26 state fiscal year for this purpose is decreased by $3 million.

Additionally, current law requires $20 million to be transferred from the fund to the public school capital construction assistance fund on June 1, 2026. The bill repeals this required transfer.

Finally, Also under current law, 10% the proceeds of all money collected from the retail marijuana sales tax (tax revenue) are apportioned to local governments with the state retaining 90%. Of the retained 90%, the tax revenue is further apportioned between the general fund, the fund, and the state public school fund. The bill changes the apportionment between the state and local governments so that local governments receive 5% of the tax revenue and the state retains 95% of the tax revenue. The 5% increase of the tax revenue that the state retains is apportioned only to the fund. Finally, the bill requires the state treasurer to transfer $550,000 from the fund to the marijuana entrepreneur fund on July 1, 2025.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)