Since voters legalized cannabis in 2016, the state has been collecting a growing amount of revenue from state cannabis taxes. Proposition 64, and the legislation passed to implement the ballot measure, allocate part of these new revenues to support child and family services. In this article, we will provide youth-serving agencies an overview of opportunities to apply for funding from these growing revenue streams.
In 2019, these grant programs allocated about $50 million to nonprofit organizations, tribal organizations and local health departments. Because the Newsom administration deemed the cannabis industry to be an essential service early in the pandemic, cannabis businesses have remained in operation during the pandemic and have continued to be profitable. As a result, it is likely these grant programs will continue to grow as the pandemic continues.
