The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), in partnership with the Bureau of Cannabis Control, announced $15 million in grant funding through the Cannabis Equity Grants Program for local jurisdictions. This program seeks to advance economic justice for populations and communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition by providing funding to local jurisdictions throughout California. These jurisdictions, however, must be committed to promoting equity in the legal cannabis marketplace and eliminating barriers to entering the regulated cannabis industry.
Fixing a Broken System
Fixing a Broken System“Cannabis prohibition and criminalization has had devastating impacts on generations of Californians,” said Nicole Elliott, senior advisor on cannabis to Governor Newsom. “As we work to safely reopen our economy, leading with equity across all sectors will ensure a just recovery and further our commitment to creating a truly diverse legal industry. These efforts stand as a testament to our values as a state, and I applaud the work being done by these jurisdictions as they thoughtfully embrace this challenge.”
Individuals convicted of a cannabis offense and their families suffer the long-term consequences of prohibition and criminalization. Unfortunately, these individuals have a more difficult time entering the adult-use cannabis industry. In part, this is due to a lack of access to capital, business space, technical support, and regulatory compliance assistance. Jurisdictions, however, will use this funding to develop their cannabis equity programs. Additionally, it will assist their equity program applicants and licensees by providing the following:
- Low/no-interest loans or grants
- Reduced licensing fees or waived fees
- Technical assistance one-on-one consulting
- Training and navigation assistance with cannabis licensing and regulatory requirements
“The California Cannabis Equity Grant that I received from the City of Oakland was one of the best things to happen to my company,” said Jessie Grundy, CEO of Green Peakz. “I was able to hire drivers and sales representatives. California investing in Californians is key to equity work. Thank you to the team at GO-Biz for doing more than just helping us get licenses, but also investing in equity companies being successful.”
At least $11.5 million of the funding, in the form of low/no-interest loans or grants, will be directly allocated to cannabis equity applicants and licensees identified explicitly by local jurisdictions as being linked to populations or communities negatively or disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition and criminalization.
Local Jurisdiction Funding for Cannabis EquityApplicants/Licensees
- Oakland: $2,434,712.51
- City and County of San Francisco: $2,055,841.43
- Los Angeles: $2,030,997.42
- Sacramento: $1,813,612.38
- Long Beach: $1,267,044.26
- Fresno: $1,204,934.25
- County of Humboldt: $1,055,870.22
- County of Lake: $888,173.18
- Palm Springs: $869,540.18
- County of Mendocino: $832,274.17
Total: $14,453,000
Local Jurisdiction Funding for Cannabis Equity Assessment/Program Development
- San Diego: $75,000
- Sonoma: $75,000
- County of Trinity: $75,000
- Escondido: $75,000
- Isleton: $22,000
- Modesto: $75,000
- Richmond: $75,000
- San Diego: $75,000
Total $547,000
The grant awards announced today build upon the $40 million in cannabis equity funding awarded by the State of California. To learn more about the program, click here.
