Kalamazoo is expanding how marijuana tax revenue can be used under its social equity program, with city officials voting unanimously to explicitly prioritize expungement workshops.
The City Commission voted 7 to 0 on August 17 to approve changes to the policy, which directs a portion of marijuana-related revenue toward programs intended to benefit communities disproportionately affected by prohibition.
Under the revised language, expungement workshops are specifically identified as a funding priority. Commissioner Jae Slaby said she wanted the provision spelled out rather than relying on future officials to understand that expungement assistance was intended to be part of the program.
Kalamazoo has funded the social equity initiative since 2020 using 25% of marijuana business permit fees and state marijuana tax distributions. City staff said the funding has generally totaled between $280,000 and $350,000 per year.
The changes also reflect the city’s experience with its original social equity framework. Despite the program being designed in part to encourage ownership by qualifying applicants, no social-equity-qualified marijuana business has successfully opened and remained operating in the city during the past six years.
Commissioner Chris Praedel said the city now has an opportunity to “turn course and adapt to the changing times” based on what officials have learned since adopting the policy.
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