Prince George's County Cannabis Reinvestment and Restoration Board Meeting - May 22, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates the meeting was held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, but the provided instruction specifies the date as May 22, 2026. This summary uses the provided date.

The Cannabis Reinvestment and Restoration Board met virtually to discuss legislative updates, finalize the grant methodology, and plan next steps. The meeting began with a delay due to lack of quorum but later achieved seven members.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from May 6, 2026, were approved with a correction on the adjournment motion. Vote: 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

• Legislative Update: Vice Chair McDowell reported that the executive branch had decided not to submit legislation with a lead agency, as previously discussed. Council member Ayala expressed that she was not comfortable releasing administrative fees (15%) and preferred that they go toward grants. Board members discussed the need for administrative funding to manage the process, including town halls and application review. Shannon Rogers (Grants Director) agreed to follow up with OMB and the chair.
• Methodology Finalization: The board reviewed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for grant administration. Key debates and decisions included:
  • Section 6.1: Adjusted language to read "based on one of the 89 disproportionately impacted areas within the designated zip codes in Prince George's County as identified by the Office of Social Equity and confirmed by the state's attorney's office." The phrase "confirmed by the state's attorney's office" was clarified as operational.
  • Funding Categories: The board agreed to align the categories with state law (A through H) and to add subcategories/examples for clarity. Marion Nyang volunteered to draft example subcategories.
  • Role of the Board in Award Determination: A lengthy discussion occurred over whether the board should directly select grantees or rely on an external panel. Several members (e.g., Nyang, Doris, Garrett) argued the board should be heavily involved, while others (e.g., Campbell, Eubanks) cautioned about appearance of impropriety and noted that the grant department typically manages such processes. It was clarified that the board can design its own process for prioritizing requests.
  • Timeline: Council Chair Ayala requested that grant recommendations be submitted to the council by August. Many members, including Doris and Mims, expressed that this timeline was unrealistic given the remaining work. The board agreed to prioritize finalizing the methodology first.
• Subcommittees: Members volunteered for specific funding categories: Mental Health/Substance Use (Campbell, Jordan), Education/Youth (McDowell), Housing/Homeless Prevention (Doris), Workforce Development (Nyang), Justice Involved (Mills), Accessibility/Transportation (Mims, Atchison).

Key Outcomes

• The board will meet again on May 27, 2026, as a working session to finalize the methodology, including subcategories.
• The council chair will be invited to the next regular meeting on June 3, 2026. The board voted 5-0 (with two staff abstaining) not to invite her to the May 27 meeting.
• Subcommittees will develop lists of example subcategories for each funding area.
• The methodology document will be updated by staff and circulated for final input before the next meeting.
• The board acknowledged the need for administrative support to meet the accelerated timeline and will communicate this to the council chair.