The City of Portland is done bogarting the tax revenue raised from recreational sales of cannabis, and will now begin doling out a portion of the 20 percent tax you pay when grabbing a pre-roll, fat sack, edible, or vape cartridge.

This coming Monday, March 12, the City of Portland Grants Office will hold their one and only informational meeting for potential record clearing and workforce development grant applicants, from noon to 1:30 pm at Portland City Hall (1221 SW 4th), on the second floor in the Pettygrove Room. The deadline for submitting your organization's application is March 30, 2018, so get on this.

The city will be giving over $350,000 in tax revenue "to address record clearing and workforce development opportunities for individuals disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition." This is a great development—a corrective measure and gesture toward amnesty for those who have suffered from cannabis-related drug laws that are no longer in effect in Oregon. From the press release:

Funding may be awarded in the following areas:

Record Clearing: Undo direct harm to those disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition by removing barriers to housing, employment, and education through legal support including but not limited to expungement, fine reduction, and charge reduction.

Workforce Development: Create pathways for people disproportionately impacted by previous cannabis laws to obtain family-wage jobs, including, but not limited to, training, mentorship, and other workforce reentry support.

In addition to $350,000 in tax money for record clearing and workforce development efforts, $150,000 will be allocated to grants toward cannabis industry-specific support and technical assistance to businesses. This is a separate funding track that will be managed by Prosper Portland.

Again, all applications must be submitted by Friday, March 30, 2018. There's more information here, including a direct contact for specific questions.