LA PLATA — Residents, nonprofits and even businesses with an idea for how to spend Charles County’s share of state cannabis tax money can pitch it starting Nov. 1.
The county’s Office of Equity and Access will accept narrative proposals for the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, Equity and Access Coordinator Elaine Pollard told the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 27. Anyone interested can contact the office at communityequity@charlescountymd.gov.
The open process is the first chance for the public to compete for the money since commissioners passed the county’s cannabis fund ordinance in July after months of debate.
Where the money comes from
Maryland’s 2023 Cannabis Reform Act sends a share of state cannabis sales tax revenue to community reinvestment and repair funds meant for communities hit hardest by past enforcement of cannabis laws. Counties receive their portions through the state and decide how to use them. State cannabis tax collections have kept climbing, reaching $28.7 million in the second quarter of this year.
Pollard said the fund’s work group recently finalized standard operating procedures, which have been approved, and that the county filed its report on money it has received on Oct. 1. That report and other information are posted on the county’s CRF engagement page.
Open to for-profits, with a caution
One unusual feature: the money is not limited to nonprofits. It can go to for-profit groups and a variety of other organizations, which is why the county built an open proposal process that any group or individual expecting funding must go through, including county departments and outside partners, said Chief Equity Officer Renesha Miles.
A commissioner urged staff to watch for conflicts with the county’s agreement with the Charles County Charitable Trust, which works with the county to fund nonprofits. Under county policy, the commissioner said, an organization that receives money from the trust cannot also receive county funding, and nonprofits should know that before they apply. Miles said staff are reviewing the existing agreement, which may not fit this fund’s uses.
Advocates wanted
The office is also looking for two to four community advocates to join the fund’s work group. They must live in the impacted ZIP codes the county identified, which Pollard listed as including 20602 and 20603 in Waldorf, and should have lived experience related to the fund’s purposes. Interested residents can use the same email address.
Pollard said staff have been taking the fund on the road, including to National Night Out events in the Pinefield, Bannister and Dorchester neighborhoods, because many residents still don’t know it exists. When asked, she said, people often want the money spent on youth.
First projects
For fiscal 2027, the office is launching:
- A proposal process for mental health and wellness clinics
- Capacity-building workshops for people doing community work who are not yet a registered organization
- Support for the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism’s Rec Assist Plus program
- A transportation assistance program so people using fund programs can get to activities and appointments
The briefing was part of the office’s quarterly update, which also covered staff training. Miles said 105 employees have completed its equity-focused leadership and management series and 51 its core values course.
Commissioners Gilbert O. Bowling III and Ralph E. Patterson II were absent. Proposals are due Dec. 15, and the office has not said when awards will be announced.
