Oaklands new push to help victims of the War on Drugs: Ballot measure would divert cannabis tax revenue – San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland officials are proposing a ballot measure that would divert millions of dollars in cannabis tax revenue to a separate fund to pay for services for victims of the War on Drugs.

The proposal, called the Emerald New Deal, would move about $7 million in annual cannabis tax revenue from the citys general fund to pay for services such as mental health services, housing support, and community and economic development.

The War on Drugs generally refers to the U.S. governments decades-long push to stop the distribution of illegal narcotics and resulted in mass incarceration for decades that disproportionately targeted Black and brown people. Despite that, the Emerald New Deal isnt race specific, said Council Member Loren Taylor, who is one of the sponsors of the proposal.

Bay Area cities, including Oakland, have tried to make up for the harm through cannabis equity programs that prioritized those harmed by the War on Drugs for legal marijuana business permits, with varying success.

If passed, the measure would create a new nine-person commission, appointed by council members and the mayor, that would determine who qualifies for services under the program. People who were incarcerated or had a loved one put behind bars due to the War on Drugs would be helped by the programs and would hold at least five seats on the commission.

The proposal, introduced by Taylor, Treva Reid and Noel Gallo, could be placed on the November ballot if it gets council approval. Taylor and Reid are running for mayor.

This is critical because we talk about equity and addressing the vestiges of institutional racism, the War on Drugs, but we dont put real dollars behind that, Taylor said. When we talk about reparative investment, having that locked in as something thats a commitment from our city with a dedicated revenue stream is important to make the progress we are trying to make.

The plan would also reinvest some money into the citys cannabis equity program, which was created in 2017 to reserve permits for people who were convicted of a marijuana-related offense in the city.

The program also set aside permits for people who earn an income less than 80% of the citys average median income, which was $68,200 for one person in 2017, or had lived for 10 years in an East or West Oakland neighborhood that saw a high number of cannabis arrests.

Some equity businesses have said the program hasnt lived up to its promise.

Taylor said the proposal will come to council committee on May 24 and will include a financial analysis from the citys finance department.

Sarah Ravani (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani

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Oaklands new push to help victims of the War on Drugs: Ballot measure would divert cannabis tax revenue - San Francisco Chronicle