California ready to give $35 million to study the harms of the war on drugs

363 0

The state wants to ensure research into the benefits of cannabis and the failed drug war continues

Another round of community reinvestment grants is being implemented by California officials. The initiative, based on a total of $35.5 million, comes from tax revenues generated from recreational marijuana sales. The state’s idea is to continue to repair the damage caused by the war on drugs.

In the middle of last week, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development released that it has awarded nearly 80 grants to organizations in the Golden State. The goal of these ventures is to support social and economic development in communities that have been disproportionately affected due to the war on drugs.

A press release from the office said, “Harsh federal and state drug policies enacted during that period led to the mass incarceration of people of color, decreased access to social services, loss of educational attainment due to diminished federal financial aid eligibility, prohibitions on the use of public housing and other public assistance, and the separation of families.”

Through marijuana-derived funds, officials plan to support different initiatives. These include substance use disorder and mental health treatment, job placement, and linkages to medical care. The California Community Reinvestments Grants (CalCRG) program is now celebrating its fourth year of disbursing cannabis-backed funds in the pursuit of social good.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s senior advisor Dee Dee Myers said the program continues to be seen as an essential tool for communities that still face various barriers to opportunity and equity today. The GO-Biz director adds that this latest round of awards comes at just the right time to support economic justice and the well-being of communities in the state that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.