Cannabis Benefit: Great Barrington Awards $185,000 in Community Impact Fund Awards
The Town is distributing $185,000 in Community Impact Funds, a local revenue benefit from local cannabis sales, to five community-based nonprofits.
The awardee organizations are:
- · Berkshire Hills Regional School District: $80,000
- · Railroad Street Youth Project: $50,000
- · Berkshire South Regional Community Center: $25,000
- · Volunteers in Medicine: $20,000
- · Construct: $10,000
The funds are distributed as part of the state’s Community Impact Fund program, which allows cities and towns to levy a portion of annual sales revenue from local cannabis purveyors. The awards reflect revenues from 2019, during which Theory Wellness opened its shop in town.
“This is our first distribution of Community Impact Funds, and these Great Barrington-based organizations – and the people they serve -- have excellent standing as beneficiaries,” said Town Manager Mark Pruhenski.
He noted that Theory Wellness opened in January 2019, halfway through town’s fiscal year. He said the town will see even more funding for the 2020 fiscal year, which will reflect a full year of operations for the shop on Stockbridge Road. Several other shops have opened, or will open shortly, during this current 2021 fiscal year.
The awardees were selected based on recommendations from the town’s Community Impact Fund Committee. Pruhenski extended his thanks to the group’s review of many applications in recent weeks, and he predicted more organizations will benefit in 2021 as impact revenues will be more robust.
The recipients must report back to the town in September 2021 on how the funds were expended, and how many residents were served.
The Community Impact Fund program will continue annually as long as cannabis-related businesses are operating within town borders.