Bill would tighten state oversight of cannabis Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund

Delegate Liliqi (for the record presented as "Del. Liliqi") said House Bill 13‑64 would strengthen oversight of the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRRF), a county‑administered program funded from state cannabis sales tax revenues that supports communities disproportionately affected by past drug enforcement.

The bill would define allowable uses, require counties to submit distribution plans before allocating funds to local community‑based organizations, establish an advisory board to the fund, and task the Office of Social Equity with training recipients and overseeing how counties award grants. The sponsor said a drafting error in the original bill mistakenly moved fund administration from the comptroller to the Office of Social Equity; he said an amendment would preserve the comptroller’s administrative role while giving the Office of Social Equity stronger oversight and training responsibilities.

The sponsor said revenue to the CRRF is substantial: calendar‑year 2024 medical and adult‑use cannabis sales produced over $1 billion in combined sales and roughly $120 million in sales tax revenue, of which about a third passed through to the CRRF. The sponsor said the Office of Social Equity, comptroller and governor’s office had worked with community groups to design the bill and that he was willing to work with counties to avoid overly prescriptive rules.

What’s next: Sponsor anticipates technical amendments to correct administrative language and to adjust program language after consultations with counties.