Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Access topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Land Access and Opportunity Board urges lawmakers to direct cannabis revenues to community reinvestment
Summary
The Land Access and Opportunity Board told the Agriculture Committee it is prepared to administer community reinvestment from cannabis excise tax revenue, proposing down‑payment assistance, grants and programs connecting affordable housing and farmland.
Officials from the Land Access and Opportunity Board (LAOB) presented the board’s mission and a funding proposal to the Agriculture Committee on Feb. 11, 2025, asking for a role in administering community reinvestment tied to cannabis excise tax revenue.
Ornella Mata Sierra, director of advocacy and community engagement for LAOB, and a colleague identified as Jess, director of program development, described the board’s origin, mission and enabling statute: LAOB was created to address disparities in land and homeownership for communities historically marginalized from land ownership, including low‑income Vermonters, immigrants, LGBTQIA Vermonters, Vermonters with disabilities and people of color.
“We believe foundationally that when those who are most marginalized, such as the small cultivators in the cannabis sector, do well, then we all do better,” Mata Sierra said. LAOB’s presenters asked the committee to invite the board back for a fuller briefing and outlined a proposed fiscal‑year 2026 budget that would use cannabis excise tax revenue for direct grants, down‑payment assistance and programs to connect affordable housing with farmland to support farm viability.
LAOB noted a recommendation in the Cannabis Control Board report to allocate 25% of cannabis excise tax revenue to community reinvestment; presenters said LAOB is prepared to receive and manage those funds and to prioritize grantmaking to communities that have been historically excluded from land ownership. They described activities the board would pursue if funded, including financial assistance for land access, incentives for community‑led housing development and pilot programs linking affordable housing to farmland.
Committee members thanked presenters but deferred detailed questions because of time constraints; LAOB asked for a follow‑up hearing to provide more detail on spending proposals and program design.
