The county has awarded more than $2 million to local equity program reports the Fort Bragg Advocate News.
Mendocino County announced April 20 an award of more than $2 million dollars from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.
The award comes after three months of an intensive research collaboration between the county and the California Center for Rural Policy at Humboldt State University, the Humboldt Institute for Interdisciplinary Marijuana Research, the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, Origins Council and cannabis attorney Hannah Nelson.
Nelson is founder of the California Cannabis Compliance Alliance and has worked extensively with local and federal authorities to protect growers and consumers from the enforcement of unclear and frequently changing cannabis policy.
Supervisor Ted Williams led the County’s participation in the collaboration, working with Mendocino’s Planning and Building Services Department. Williams was elected 5th District Supervisor in 2018.
The group collaborated on a Mendocino County Equity Assessment, and its results showed that the war on drugs and prohibition of cannabis had disproportionately impacted the residents and businesses in the county, compared to elsewhere in the state.
The assessment also aimed to identify neighborhoods and small growers that may have been left behind in recent legalization and by past policy.
The collaboration’s purpose was to show that a well-funded local equity program would be an effective way to relieve county residents from disproportionate legal and financial consequences, especially in the face of recent marijuana decriminalization.
The funding comes from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, and the program administration funding cannot exceed 10 percent of the $2,242,704 awarded. This leaves more than $2 million for qualifying county businesses and residents. Mendocino County’s Planning and Building Department said it aims to have an agreement with the Governor’s office for the equity fund by the end of June 2020. The funding begins fiscal year 2020-2021, which typically begins in July.
Supervisor John McCowen, 2nd District County Supervisor since 2009, provided the County’s history in cannabis programs and policy that was needed to complete the grant application.
More at https://www.advocate-news.com/2020/05/01/county-invests-over-2-million-in-cannabis-businesses/
