LOCAL JURISDICTION EQUITY GRANT FUNDING

The California Cannabis Equity Act of 2018 established by Senate Bill 1294 (Equity Act) and the Budget Act of 2019, Item 1111-490 – Reappropriation (Budget Act of 2019) appropriated funding for the state to provide to local jurisdictions to develop and operate local cannabis equity programs that focus on the inclusion and support of individuals in California's legal cannabis marketplace who are from communities negatively or disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization. Funding through the Equity Act and Budget Act of 2019 allow local jurisdictions to provide direct assistance to the equity applicants or equity licensees in their local equity program.

The Bureau of Cannabis Control (Bureau) was initially appropriated $10 million in equity grant funding. In October 2019, the Bureau awarded those equity grant funds to 10 local jurisdictions. For more information and a list of the jurisdictions that were awarded funding, please click on the following link to view the Bureau's press release: https://bcc.ca.gov/about_us/documents/media_20191009.pdf.

Additionally, the Bureau and the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) were each appropriated $15 million in equity grant funding. As allowed by the Equity Act and subsequent legislation, the Bureau entered into an interagency agreement with GO-Biz to administer the process for its $15 million in grant funding. In April 2020, GO-Biz awarded $30 million in grant funding on behalf of GO-Biz and the Bureau. For more information and a list of the jurisdictions that were awarded funding, please click on the following link to view the press release by GO-Biz: https://business.ca.gov/california-cannabis-equity-grants-program-provides-30-million-in-grant-funding-for-local-jurisdictions/.

Both the Budget Act of 2019 and the Equity Act require the Bureau to submit a report to the Legislature on the progress of local equity programs that have received funding pursuant to these provisions. A link to a copy of the report can be found below. Requests for hard copies of the report should be sent to bcc@dca.ca.gov.

For any questions regarding the equity grant funding, please contact our office at (916) 465-9025 or by email at bccgrants@dca.ca.gov.

Report to Legislature on Local Jurisdiction Equity Funding – July 2020