California has announced the awarding of $18.4 Million in grants funded by marijuana taxes to counties and cities across the state. The money will be used to fund equity programs, and remove entry barriers in the cannabis sector.
This is the latest round of funds that the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) is providing under its Cannabis Equity Grants Program for Local Jurisdictions.
In a Tuesday press release, GO-Biz stated that the purpose of the program was to “assist local efforts in supporting applicants and licensees through technical assistance, regulatory compliance, and help with securing capital needed to start a business.”
It said: “This type of support also supports efforts statewide to reduce, and eventually eliminate the illegal cannabis market. By bringing people in the legal marketplace, it will help bring more people out into the open.”
The funds from the grant will support a number of activities. These include providing “low/no-interest loan or grants to program applicants or licensees that face financial barriers for entry into the Cannabis industry, reducing or eliminating licensing fees as well technical assistance such as one-on-one consultation and training.
The office said that, with this latest funding round, the program has provided $123.4 million to 34 local jurisdictions across the state. As of December last year, the cities and counties who received grants had licensed 1,446 Californians that faced barriers in California’s industry.
This is a list with the recipients of grants:
- Los Angeles City: $3,500,000.00
- San Francisco, City and County $3,324,052.50
- Oakland City: $2,074,369.75
- Sacramento, California: $1,680,777.31
- San Diego County: $1,413,134.46
- City of Long Beach $1,198,263.18
- County of Humboldt $657,436.98
- County of Mendocino $612,689.88
- Richmond, City of $600,000.00
- County of Sonoma $558,102.04
- City of Nevada City $557,845.81
- Palm Springs City: $538,328.09
- Nevada County: $500,000.00
- County of Trinity $500,000.00
- City of Vista $250,000.00
- Watsonville, City of: $250,000.00
- Coachella City: $200,000.00
GO-Biz gave $12 million of marijuana-tax-funded grants last year to various cities in California to support equity and justice programs that benefit people who are disproportionately impacted.
Meanwhile, on Monday California officials unveiled a new report on the current status and future of the state’s marijuana market—with independent analysts hired by regulators concluding that the federal prohibition on cannabis that prevents interstate commerce is meaningfully bolstering the illicit market.
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State officials will accept public comments on the plan to remove medical marijuana from accepted treatments for workers compensation claims. This is happening separately. This change will effectively stop doctors from prescribing marijuana in these cases and eliminate any compensation for paying cannabis medication.
Also, a new California law allowing marijuana cafes officially took effect at the beginning of January, authorizing local governments throughout the state to allow cannabis cafes to open.
Last September the governor also signed a series of modest reform proposals, including a bill to make it so medical marijuana donated to low-income patients is tax-exempt and another measure to prevent what advocates call the “double taxation” of marijuana by restricting the ability of local governments to calculate their cannabis levies after state taxes are already applied.
While the governor supports cannabis legalization, he’s been notably reserved about various drug policy proposals in recent years, for example vetoing legislation to legalize psychedelics and allow safe consumption sites for illegal drugs, in addition to nixing legislation to allow small marijuana growers to sell their products directly to consumers at state-organized farmers markets.
Meanwhile, a recent report released by a panel of experts convened by California’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) made a number of major policy recommendations that would radically alter the landscape of the state’s marijuana market, for example by limiting the THC potency of cannabis flower and concentrates, requiring products be sold in plain packaging and setting up a government-run cannabis monopoly along the lines of how stores work in Quebec, Canada.
Separately, in October, an industry effort to halt California’s enforcement of new emergency regulations banning consumable hemp products fell short, with a state judge denying a request for a temporary restraining order.
Nebraska’s Attorney General threatens a lawsuit over licensing as lawmakers consider medical marijuana implementation bills
Side Pocket Images. Photo by Chris Wallis.
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