Community Input on the Use of Funds
Howard County’s plan for distributing these funds must be informed by community input. A draft of the plan will be presented in a public forum in September 2026 to give community members an opportunity to provide additional feedback on the finished product.
If you’re a current or former Howard County resident, or if you currently work in the county, we want to hear your thoughts. Share your input through a quick survey and be entered into a raffle to win one of ten $100 gift cards.
Attend a Town Hall Event
If you prefer to give input in-person, please attend a town hall. Two people at each town hall will be randomly selected to receive a $100 gift card at the conclusion of the event.
- Tuesday, July 28, East Columbia 50+ Center, 6610 Cradlerock Way, Columbia
- Wednesday, August 12, Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia
Take The Survey
A survey is available at bit.ly/HoCo_CRRFsurvey and through the QR code below:
Cannabis Reform and the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund
In 2022, Maryland voters passed a ballot referendum supporting legalization of cannabis possession and consumption in the state—67% of voters favored legalization. The Cannabis Reform Act of 2023 created the framework for adult-use cannabis in Maryland. It also established Maryland’s Office of Social Equity, imposed a sales tax on adult-use cannabis, and established the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF).
Cannabis tax revenue collected by the state is distributed across many funding areas, including the Cannabis Public Health Fund, Cannabis Business Assistance Fund, Maryland counties, and state general fund. Among these distributions, CRRF is a special fund which receives 35% of this tax revenue. The money collected by the state in the CRRF is then redistributed quarterly on a formula basis to each jurisdiction, including Howard County, and held in a special fund locally.
While cannabis is now legal, the past enforcement of drug laws for many decades has meant that people have been arrested, incarcerated, and experienced lifelong harms for use and possession of cannabis. These harms have multi-generational impacts on families and communities and have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown Marylanders, who have been incarcerated at higher rates for cannabis-related crimes. These differences in enforcement of drug laws have contributed to inequities in economic, public health, and social conditions.
The CRRF was created to acknowledge and work to repair some of the impacts of disparate enforcement and build capacity in impacted communities. This fund must be directed to community-based organizations for the purpose of supporting low-income residents and communities. By state law, the fund may not support law enforcement agencies or activities, and it may not supplant (replace) funding that otherwise would be appropriated for local programs. In other words, it must be used to create new programs and resources or to expand the reach of existing programs and resources.
Howard County established a dedicated special revenue fund for CRRF to hold the state distributions separate and ensure they are used in alignment with requirements. In Howard County, the fund must be used in the zip codes 21044 and 21045, which were identified as communities disproportionately impacted by historical enforcement of drug laws.
Funds have not yet been distributed in Howard County. Funds will be distributed through grants following the development of a distribution plan that is informed by community input. The county is now in the process of gathering community input on the use of these funds.
The County also convenes a monthly meeting of the Adult-Use Cannabis Advisory Panel, a board of community members with personal and professional experience. This board advises the county on the implementation of adult-use cannabis and the use of Community Reinvestment and Repair Funds. These meetings are open to the public. Please contact dheilman@howardcountymd.gov for more information about these meetings.