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Recreational Marijuana Equity Act

A new state bill allows for minority businesses to receive recreational marijuana licenses.

 

Tony Kirkman, Piatt County Mental Health Center Executive Director, reminds last year when recreational marijuana was legalized, a lottery system was established to award licenses. The reasoning was to award licenses to minority owners, but larger companies received the licenses.

 

 

The General Assembly recently passed the Recreational Marijuana Equity Act, which creates two additional lotteries of 110 total for minority dispensary owners. In addition to the 110, the bill also allows the lottery for last year's 75 licenses to move forward.

 

 

Kirkman notes the original recreational marijuana bill provided for twenty percent of the tax proceeds would go to substance abuse and mental health providers. The new state budget allocates $15 million to the Substance Use and Prevention Recovery Department.

 

 

Kirkman says this is much-needed funding to allow mental health providers to continue serving the communities they serve.

 

The bill now heads to the Governor's desk.

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