In 2020, Mendocino County was awarded $2.2 million from the Cannabis Equity Grants Program for Local Jurisdictions which is being administered by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). In addition, the Board of Supervisor’s allocated $100,000 matching grant dollars to support our local Cannabis Equity Program, which aims to provide funding and services for those hardest hit by the “War on Drugs” by lowering barriers to cannabis permitting and licensing. In order to qualify for this funding, entrepreneurs must apply for and receive a Local Equity Entrepreneur Program (LEEP) designation in one of three categories:

• LEEP Licensee: One who currently holds a Cannabis Cultivation Permit (CCP) or a Cannabis Facility Business License (CFBL).
• LEEP Applicant: One who has applied for, but not yet received, a Cannabis Cultivation Permit (CCP) or a Cannabis Facility Business License (CFBL).
• LEEP Business in Formation: One who is seeking to apply for a Cannabis Cultivation Permit (CCP) or a Cannabis Facility Business License (CFBL)