City Councilors in Springfield, Massachusetts are proposing to use part of the retail marijuana sales tax to help areas of the city that suffered when pot was illegal in the state.
The purpose of the Impacted Neighborhood Stabilization Fund is to improve the quality of life in sections of the city that endured high crime and arrest rates when marijuana was prohibited.
It could pay for such things as job training, after school programs, and beautification projects, according to City Councilor Justin Hurst, who chairs the council’s Committee on Marijuana Regulations.
"Its something the Cannibis Control Commission has also stated that they want to see happen and it just makes sense," said Hurst.
In the coming weeks, the council is expected to vote on an order directing that 25 percent of what is collected through a three percent local tax on retail marijuana sales go into the special fund.
