Meyer sues Sonoma County for various civil rights violaions

“Although Meyer has, herself, never been affiliated with, associated with, involved in,
or accuse of the operation of a cannabis grow in the County, the facts of her case,
nevertheless, are inextricably tied to the manner in which the County acted to
regulate such grows following the legalization of recreational use cannabis in the
state. Thus, some discussion of the legislative backdrop of cannabis is warranted.”

MEYER-V-COS-COMPLAINT-24CV09056-12-13-24

Our previous email of Dec 11 included the questions we and some of our community members asked of the Board of Supervisors and the Sonoma County Cannabis office regarding the Equity Program. We provide McCall Miller’s response, below.
Sometimes answers beg more questions. We encourage anyone looking for more clarification to email McCall.Miller@sonoma-county.org.

Good morning,

My apologies for the delay in responding. Board members have been included in the blind copy of this email. Thank you for your email and your questions. Please see my responses in blue below.

1. Is a review and update being conducted by the county to expand the eligibility criteria to include those business owners and applicants who are the most deserving, and not limit eligibility only to those applicants or their family member’s who have conviction and/or arrest history?

Yes, the current eligibility criteria are being reviewed for possible alignment with the criteria allowed per the GO-Biz Cannabis Equity Grant solicitation (see page 4 of the FY24-25 Grant Solicitation).

2. How much and in what ways will the County offer outreach and technical assistance to applicants, as other state-administered grant programs do?

The County will notify via publication on the website, email through the Cannabis Updates email distribution list, and direct communication with current applicants and operators. The County will look to City partners to help notify applicants and operators that operate within the cities. County staff is available and ready to assist applicants.

3. Will priority be given to those who paid cannabis cultivation taxes, but are struggling to maintain business due to the high taxes imposed by the county?

Tax payment status is not an eligibility criterion. The cannabis equity grant funds may be used to pay cannabis cultivation taxes, which has been proven to be a great need for operators to maintain their businesses.

4. Will priority be given to those who have been penalized for code enforcement while trying to maintain their business?

Code enforcement status is not an eligibility criterion. Those in the Penalty Relief Program (PRP) do receive prioritization.

5. Will Disabled Military Veterans be added as one of the criteria for eligibility?

Veteran status will remain a Tier B criterion. Tier B criteria are used to help prioritize those most in need. See the current Program Manual for more information about Tier B criteria.

6. Will the same people who were awarded equity grant funds last year be eligible again this coming year?

This is under consideration.

The County submitted an application for a Type 2 Cannabis Equity Grant from GO-Biz this week. Award notifications are expected from GO-Biz no later than January 24, 2025. A draft revised program manual will be published on the Sonoma County Cannabis Local Equity Program webpage after the first of the year for public review. Be sure to sign up for Cannabis Updates to receive an email notification.

Please let me know of any additional questions.

Thank you,
McCall