Cincinnati City Councilman Mark Jeffreys on Thursday rolled out a "Harm to Hope" cannabis reinvestment fund that would wall off the city's recreational marijuana tax haul — roughly $2.5 million this year — for neighborhoods hit hardest by decades of marijuana criminalization. The restricted fund would prioritize record expungement, lead abatement, youth employment and workforce-development programs in communities including Avondale, Bond Hill and Roselawn. Jeffreys unveiled the idea at New Prospect Baptist Church alongside community and faith leaders who argued the money should go where the damage has been greatest.
What Jeffreys Is Proposing
Jeffreys wants to create a restricted "Harm to Hope Cannabis Reinvestment Fund" overseen by a community advisory board modeled on the city's Human Services Fund, with the board recommending funding priorities and ensuring annual accountability, as reported by WCPO. The proposal spells out specific program areas such as expungement clinics, workforce training, youth employment and lead abatement, all aimed at repairing harms tied to past enforcement. Jeffreys said he plans to introduce the concept at a city council meeting in the coming weeks and would follow up with an ordinance and appointments if colleagues sign on.
Where The Money Would Come From
The dollars would come from the state's excise taxes on recreational cannabis sales that are being routed back to host communities; Cincinnati's initial share was about $2.5 million in the first round of disbursements, according to The Ohio Newsroom. State reporting shows more than $35 million was sent to roughly 100 municipalities after dispensaries opened, and those local funds are already being used for a range of services from street repairs to public-safety needs. Backers say directing a guaranteed slice of the city’s marijuana tax into a restricted fund would lock the money into long-term community remediation instead of one-off budget fixes.
Community Groups Want The Dollars Targeted
At the church event, local leaders pressed for the fund to be explicitly earmarked for neighborhoods that suffered the greatest enforcement harms and for the advisory board to have real decision-making power. "We want to make sure that those funds are earmarked and targeted to those that have been harmed," NAACP Cincinnati president David Whitehead said, while Pastor Damon Lynch emphasized that disproportionate criminalization has devastated families, per WCPO. Trevor Reed of the Urban League's Holloman Center noted the group launched an expungement clinic last year that has already helped more than 1,200 people seek record clearing and contributed over $130,000 in services, a capability advocates say would pair with the proposed fund to turn tax revenue into legal relief and job opportunity.
Next Steps And What To Watch
If Jeffreys formally files the measure, council debate will determine whether the idea becomes an ordinance and how the advisory board is structured. Expect questions about how narrowly the fund will target neighborhoods, whether dollars will be spread across program types or concentrated on expungement and workforce efforts, and what reporting or sunset provisions the city will require to ensure accountability. Supporters frame the proposal as a chance to convert a new revenue stream into direct repair, while opponents or fiscal skeptics may push for tighter oversight rules and measurable outcomes before money is locked into a restricted account.
