Article: Connecticut – Social Equity Council voices concerns about marijuana reinvestment money

Inside Investigator writes

Members of the Social Equity Council, which oversees the social equity portion of Connecticut’s new marijuana industry, raised concerns over how to distribute millions in community reinvestment funds after Executive Director Ginnie-Ray Clay presented a timeline for evaluating and approving potential grants.

The community reinvestment pilot program sends a portion of cannabis sales tax revenue back to communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. In 2023, the SEC distributed $6 million to various third-party organizations to administer grants. The SEC is already preparing for the 2024 distribution, but some members raised issues over timing of the plan and criticism that had been leveled over 2023’s distribution.

Council member and chair of the SEC’s Reinvestment and Workforce Committee Ojala Naeem said she was concerned about the timeline for approving the grant-making organizations or even distributing the funds through those third parties or if the council could have a bigger impact through an alternative approach.

Social Equity Council voices concerns about marijuana reinvestment money