California agency awards over $50 million in cannabis tax dollars to 31 organizations

The California Governor’s Office for Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced it is again awarding a handful of grants to various public health agencies and nonprofits on May 25. The agency uses cannabis use and cultivation taxes to fund $50 million in fiscal year 2022-2023 and made grants through the California Community Reinvestment Grants Program. Recipients are permitted to use the funds to help people find work, treat mental illness or substance abuse, and provide legal services.

To qualify, organizations must meet various requirements such as: B. A good reputation for at least six months prior to the bid, tax-exempt status from the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board, and a “current” or “current” designation. Listed “exempt” in the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.

This fiscal year’s grant recipients include 31 organizations dedicated to helping communities affected by the War on Drugs. The top grants awarded were $3 million to Centers for Equity and Success, Inc., Shields for Families, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, UnCommon Law, and the Monterey County Health Department. Other grants include First Place for Youth, Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay, United Friends of the Children and more.

According to a GO-Biz press release, the agency plans to open the next wave of grants to applications later this summer, in August 2023.

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) initially announced in April 2020 the launch of the program with initial grantees of $30 million for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. In 2021, the California Community Reinvestment Grants Program awarded $15 million to various organizations. Most recently, in June of last year, GO-Biz announced the distribution of $35.5 million in cannabis taxpayer money to 58 grant recipients.

In February, the DCC announced it was offering $20 million in grant programs to support and grow the state’s cannabis industry. “Expanding access to the California retail cannabis market is an important step in protecting consumer safety and supporting a balanced market,” said DCC Director Nicole Elliott. “The Retail Access Grant program is ultimately aimed at promoting legal retail outlets in areas where existing consumers do not have convenient access to regulated cannabis.” Six study initiatives were at the University of California, Los Angeles, three at the University of California , Berkeley, as well as individual scholarships to colleges such as the University of California, Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal Poly Humboldt.

Also in February, the DCC announced that it will provide $20 million for the Local Jurisdiction Retail Access Grant, which helps local governments implement their respective cannabis licensing programs. It also announced an additional $15 million to be made available to support equity adequacy in the cannabis industry.

California also continues to fund cannabis research efforts. In April, 16 colleges received nearly $20 million to study cannabis. The topics of these initiatives ranged from examining ancient genetics, potency and more. “It is the Ministry’s intention that these studies advance scientific research, advance our understanding of cannabis and contribute to the further development and refinement of the regulatory framework,” said DCC Chief Vice Director Rasha Salama. “These studies will provide valuable insights on issues of interest to consumers, businesses and policymakers in California, and the Department looks forward to sharing them with you upon completion.”

Just a few weeks ago, a California task force released the draft of its final report, which concluded that the state apologized to black Americans for discrimination resulting from the War on Drugs. It also asked for monies to be paid to black Americans for “each year of their stay in California during the 49-year period between 1971 and 2020.” The final version of the report will be sent to Congress on June 29th.