After a public hearing with no speakers, the Worcester County Commissioners voted this week to create a special revenue fund to collect money sent to the county from the state for cannabis sales.
Medical cannabis products are pictured.
File stock photo
By Steve Green, Executive Editor
Following no speakers during a required public hearing, the Worcester County Commissioners agreed this week to create a special revenue fund to collect dollars sent to the county by the state from cannabis sales.
On Tuesday, the commissioners reviewed a bill to create a Reinvestment and Repair Special Revenue Fund. In a memo to the commissioners, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Candace Savage detailed the special revenue fund connected to cannabis.
She wrote, “The Maryland Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund receives money from one-time cannabis license conversion fees and 35% of cannabis sales and use tax. Maryland counties receiving cannabis funding under the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund are required to adopt a law establishing the purpose for which money received from the Fund may be used. Funds are distributed to counties proportionately based on the total cannabis possession charges within each jurisdiction between July 1, 2002, and January 1, 2023.”
According to Savage’s memo, Worcester will receive 1.22% of the total funds with the first distribution of conversion fees and the sales tax for the 2023 calendar year amounting to $369,473.
A public hearing was held on Tuesday as part of the bill introduction with no attendees making comments.
Commissioner Caryn Abbott asked county attorney Roscoe Leslie if there were for specifics on where the money would go.
“We tried to make it as a broad as possible and this is enabling legislation …,” Leslie said. “The decisions on how to spend the money will likely be done through the budget process so it will come before you,” Leslie said.
According to the bill’s language, “revenue paid into the Fund must be used for: funding community-based initiatives intended to benefit low-income community, community-based initiatives that serve disproportionately impact areas … any related administrative expenses.” Revenue can not be used for law enforcement, per the bill.
Commissioner Diana Purnell made a motion to approve with a second by Commissioner Eric Fiori. The motion carried in a unanimous vote.