By Brian Shane

Staff Writer

State tax revenue from recreational cannabis sales has given Worcester County a $1 million kitty from which to distribute community-based impact grants.

The Worcester County Reinvestment and Repair Grant Program will distribute money that’s been earmarked for low-income communities or to serve disproportionality impacted areas.

Funding comes from the state’s 9% tax on recreational cannabis, which was legalized in 2023. Maryland puts 35% of that tax revenue into an impact fund, from which the state’s 23 counties and Baltimore City each get a percentage.

Counties are required to adopt laws outlining specific purposes for which the cannabis tax revenue can be used locally. The county’s Board of Commissioners voted to do so unanimously at its June 17 meeting.

Each county’s fund share is based, generally, on its historical impact of drug enforcement laws. Last year, Worcester County’s share of the fund was 1.22%, according to county spokeswoman Kim Moses. As of June 1, the fund balance was $1,084,216.

In Worcester, grant applicants can be nonprofit organizations, community groups, small businesses, and municipalities. The money can be used for economic development, public health, and community improvement.

Funds may not be spent on law enforcement, or to supplant any county programs that existed before the legalization recreational cannabis.

Proposals must include an outline of project goals, including who the money will help, a budget, and measurable outcomes. Applicants also must include letters of support from local community organizations, according to Worcester County Administrator Weston Young.

He said they’ll be more likely to seriously consider grant requests from nonprofits and municipalities. For example, he said Berlin is looking to fund a community center, and Snow Hill wants to resurface its public basketball courts.

“Our Program Open Space money’s been cut to less than a third of what it used to be under Governor [Wes] Moore. So, we don’t have as much money to give around for parks,” Young said.

Applicants would benefit from including letters of support from others in the community, “to show this is a community request, and not [for] the benefit of one business owner,” Young added.

County officials will accept applications through the end of this summer, with grant awards announced in October. Smaller grants are encouraged, though there’s no maximum award. The county eventually will publish online an annual report including the projects selected and their respective grant amounts.

When the Worcester County Commissioners discussed this on June 17, Commissioner Caryn Abbot (District 1, Southern) said she knows of two projects in the Pocomoke City that could benefit from such funds.

According to Abbott, one project would be housing several businesses under its roof, and two of those businesses in particular would be a law practice and a mental health clinic.

While the southern end of Worcester County does lack many services like day care, dry cleaners, or attorneys, “it’s meant to be for community initiatives,” Young said of the grants.

“I could see churches. I could see, you know, any sort of nonprofits out there. … Ultimately, we’ll present everything back to you all that’s been requested,” he told Abbott.