On August 22, 2023, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors approved two contracts with the Sierra Business Council to administer and distribute funds for two Cannabis grants that will support the Local Cannabis Equity Program (Equity Program). The Equity Program will reduce the barriers to entering the regulated cannabis marketplace and support both existing, permitted, and new applicants who may have previously faced social, economic, or negative impacts or other restraints.
“We are proud of the work our Nevada County cannabis cultivators have done,” said Senior Cannabis Compliance Officer Thomas Maioli. “We want to continue to support existing applicants and offer assistance to those who are interested in entering the regulated cannabis industry. These grants will support currently permitted cultivators and provide a path forward for those cultivators not yet in the legal market.”
The two grants the County has received to support cultivators are the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GOBIZ) Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant and the Department of Cannabis Control’s (DCC) Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant.
The Nevada County Community Development Agency’s Cannabis division is working in partnership with the Sierra Business Council on development criteria, applications, agreement forms, and application submittal window(s) to distribute funds; program details will be released in Fall 2023.
Generally, the Equity program will focus on retaining and supporting existing commercial cannabis applicants who live and work in the community. Further, the program aims to help those who want to participate in the regulated market but may face restraints that previously prevented entry.
GOBIZ Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant
Notably, the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GOBIZ) Local Jurisdiction Assistance grant program, almost $756,000, will focus on supporting existing commercial cannabis applicants who live and work in the community. The Equity Program will assist applicants with costs associated with commercial cannabis, including local and state fees, licensing, regulatory costs, capital improvements, licensed professional consultants, environmental site development, best management/sustainable practices, business and employee education, training, and assistance with bringing properties into compliance.
DCC Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant
To bolster the Equity Program and provide more funding opportunities, the Cannabis Division was awarded approximately $1.2 million through the Department of Cannabis Control’s Local Jurisdiction Assistance Grant. The Local Jurisdiction Assistance Program will also focus on existing commercial cannabis applicants who live and work in the community. The Equity program will be released in Fall 2023.
The Community Development Agency is partnering with Sierra Business Council to oversee the application process and provide responsive customer service to equity and Local Jurisdiction Assistance applicants. The Cannabis Compliance division will release additional details on the Equity Program in Fall 2023.
To learn more, please visit the Cannabis Equity Program site.