For questions pertaining specifically to the Cannabis Tax Allocation Grant process for FY17/18, contact Craig Haynes at 503-823-4306 or inboxGMDCannabis@portlandoregon.gov.  

For all other Cannabis Tax related questions, contact Kimie Ueoka or call 503-823-9333. 

The Portland City Council approved $500,000 in the FY2017-18 Adopted Budget for a portion of projected annual revenues from a local tax on recreational marijuana sales. The tax was referred to the ballot by City Council and passed by Portland voters in November 2016.

Per City Council’s direction, a community steering committee process and community survey provided guidance on how funding should be appropriately allocated to address the areas identified in the November 2016 ballot:

“Support for neighborhood small businesses, especially women-owned and minority-owned businesses, including but not limited to business incubator programs, management training, and job training opportunities; and providing economic opportunity and education to communities disproportionately-impacted by cannabis prohibition.”

Based on community input, the City of Portland will dedicate $350,000 in grant funding to the area of record clearing and workforce development for individuals disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition.

Additionally, $150,000 will be allocated to grants in the area of cannabis industry-specific support and technical assistance. This is a separate funding track that will be managed by Prosper Portland. For more information about the cannabis industry-specific grants contact Amanda Park at parka@prosperportland.us.

The City of Portland Grants Office will host an informational meeting for potential record clearing/workforce development grant applicants, on Monday, March 12, 2018, from 12:00 p.m – 1:30 p.m at Portland City Hall, Pettygrove Room (2^nd floor), 1221 SW 4th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97204.

Funding may be awarded in each of the following areas:

Record Clearing: Undo direct harm to those disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition by removing barriers to housing, employment, and education through legal support including but not limited to expungement, fine reduction, and charge reduction  .

Workforce Development: Create pathways for people disproportionately impacted by previous cannabis laws to obtain family-wage jobs, including, but not limited to, training, mentorship, and other workforce reentry support.

All applications must be submitted by Friday, March 30, 2018, to the address on the application form. Emailed and mailed submissions will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30, 2018,