The Carroll County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing Oct. 23 on how the county should prioritize use of Maryland’s Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), the state program tied to the legalization of adult-use cannabis. The board closed the hearing and left the record open for 10 days to accept further written comments.

County staff said Carroll County has received about $1.9 million in CRRF-related revenue so far, including conversion fees, and anticipates ongoing quarterly receipts (staff estimated roughly $250,000 a year based on current distributions). The CRRF statute limits eligible uses to a defined set of purpose areas and requires that projects either benefit low-income communities or disproportionately impacted areas (Carroll County’s designated disproportionately impacted ZIP is 21157), staff said. Staff also noted CRRF funds cannot be used for law-enforcement activities or to supplant existing local government funds.

Speakers who addressed the commissioners proposed a variety of uses for CRRF money. Mount Airy council member Steven Demoter asked the board to consider funding two weather alert sirens and public-safety education in his town, saying sirens would help residents who lack reliable smartphone alerts; he described storm and tornado impacts in Mount Airy and requested roughly $85,000 to cover two sirens and outreach.

Several speakers urged investment in evidence-based education, prevention and treatment. Jimmy Gast, who identified himself as a Carroll County resident in long-term recovery, urged funding for "honest evidence based" education about cannabis and addiction rather than fear-based prevention programs. Rick Glass, founder of a local cannabis-education nonprofit, pressed for true cannabis education that includes medical uses and scientific information about the endocannabinoid system. Renee Reisinger, a nurse practitioner with specialized training in medical cannabis, urged funding for professional education of health-care providers and vocational training in hemp/cannabis horticulture as community-based responses.

A broad group of service providers described requests that align with listed purpose areas. Kate Swisher of Carroll County Youth Service Bureau said the agency could expand suicide-intervention, same-day access behavioral-health clinics and mobile outreach to reach low-income neighborhoods. Sharon Wilhite and other commenters urged that a large share of funds be directed to school-based programs and drug education in the disproportionately impacted ZIP code; several speakers framed education as prevention and as support for low-income students.

Several commenters raised legal and policy objections. Catherine Adelaide of the Carroll County Republican Central Committee urged the board to reject CRRF proceeds on federal-law grounds, citing the federal Controlled Substances Act and the Gonzales v. Raich Supreme Court precedent; she recommended the board refuse the funds until federal legalization occurs. Other speakers argued the county should accept the funds and invest them in education, treatment and community supports.

After public comment, a commissioner moved to close the public hearing and leave the record open for 10 days; the motion passed. Staff said commissioners will receive the public input and return with a proposed prioritized list of purpose areas and a draft RFP that would guide distribution to nonprofits and other local implementers. The county emphasized it will not use CRRF money to replace existing county funding and that proposals must describe how they will serve eligible low-income populations or the disproportionately impacted ZIP code.

The formal record remains open for 10 days from Oct. 23; written comments and project ideas will be accepted during that period and will inform staff recommendations to the board at a later meeting.