New York State officials are preparing to deploy up to $5 million in grants funded by marijuana tax revenue as part of an effort to reinvest in areas disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. The state's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) says the awards aim "to redress a wide range of community needs—from housing to childcare to job skills training and many areas in between."
Under state law, 40 percent of all cannabis tax revenue is earmarked for community reinvestment, targeting "areas of the state that have been historically under-resourced, underserved, and over-policed," OCM said on a page posted to its website last week.
The $5 million in grant money—to be divided into individual awards of $100,000—will focus in its initial round on providing services to young people, from newborns to 24-year-olds, and will fall into at least one of three areas: mental health, workforce development, and housing.
"Organizations do NOT have to be affiliated with any cannabis-related businesses or activities to apply," an OCM overview of the program, which will be overseen by the state's Cannabis Advisory Board, makes clear.
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