NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — In the first year of adult-use cannabis sales, Connecticut sold over $144 million worth, resulting in over $22 million to the state from the marijuana tax.
The tax is overall around 20 percent and is broken into three categories, A six percent sales tax, a three percent tax for the city or town it’s sold in and an over ten percent THC tax.
Most of that goes to the Social Equity and Innovation Fund that aims to make a difference in communities impacted most by the war on drugs. Connecticut’s Social Equity Council is ensuring every sale of adult-use marijuana, serves a bigger purpose by helping communities grow.
“We wanted to make sure the communities and individuals that have been impacted by the war on drugs receive a benefit,” said CT Social Equity Council Executive Director Ginne-Rae Clay.
15 percent of the marijuana tax goes to the state’s General Fund, 25 goes to the Prevention and Recovery Services Fund while the rest is put into the Social Equity and Innovation Fund.
“We get about 60 percent of it right now and over the years we expect to get as much as 75 percent of the cannabis tax revenue,” Clay said.
Clay said their pilot program identified six disproportionately impacted areas in the state who have the highest conviction rates for drug-related crimes and high poverty rates. The pilot then distributed six million dollars to already established grant-making organizations in New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury, Bridgeport, Stamford, and New London.
Connecticut’s marijuana tax revenue drives social equity initiatives
Following the pilot program, Clay said now this is an annual process open to 36 communities across the state and another round of funding is coming soon.
“This time we are going to have a large pot of money that we are putting out and that’s one-time. That’s a result of the industry opening in Connecticut and people paying licensing fees,” Clay said.
In New Haven, The Prosperity Foundation awarded the pilot program Social Equity Funds to dozens of organizations working to make a difference in the community. From sober house recovery services to helping father’s reconnect with their families after incarceration to therapeutic beekeeping job-training programs.
“Program that uses beekeeping as a vehicle for trauma healing and also for building transformable job skills,” said Huneebee Project Founder and Executive Director Sarah Taylor.
The Huneebee Project brings beehives to community gardens while offering jobs to local youth.
“Getting money for me, feels amazing. I just put it in a savings account,” said a teen beekeeper who did not want to be identified.
The teen beekeeper said the benefits go well beyond dollars. She said her journey to this moment, excelling in a newfound passion, was not easy.
“There was things going on in my house and I had to be moved out. It was really hard,” said the beekeeper. “I kept to myself and stuff, to be honest I didn’t really like people. I feel like beekeeping has helped me get out of my shell and find a new hobby too.”
“Their first job, their first work experience. A lot of the youth that come to us are referred by therapists and are referred for various reasons like depression, anxiety, PTSD,” Taylor said.
Taylor said they were awarded a nearly $14,000 social equity grant and as a small non-profit it’s made an unbelievable difference.
“It’s incredible and it’s hard to really put into words. It allowed us for us to fund two part-time youth positions. Every person just like in the hive matters,” Taylor said.
The nonprofit also raises money through fundraising events, including their upcoming Hunee in the Park cocktail and mocktail making with honey event on Sunday at Edgerton Park in New Haven. More information can be found here.
Clay said the new round of funding will distribute 34 million dollars and should be available in the coming weeks, something Taylor said she intends on applying for.
Organizations can apply through their community’s designated grant-maker organization.
