SACRAMENTO – The California Highway Patrol announced Tuesday the availability of nearly $27 million in grant funds to help local communities combat impaired driving.

The funding is the result of Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act, which provided specified cannabis tax funding to the CHP to administer local grants for education, prevention, and enforcement programs regarding impaired driving. Funding for the grants comes from a tax on the cultivation and sale of cannabis and cannabis products sold in California since January 2018.

For the current grant cycle, the CHP’s Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program will be awarding grants based on a competitive process to California law enforcement agencies and local toxicology laboratories meeting the eligibility requirements described in the 2021 Request for Application, available on the CHP website.

The CHP will hold a virtual workshop on Wednesday, Jan. 6, to answer questions from potential grant applicants regarding the application process, the 2021 Request for Application, administrative program regulations, and other general questions.

Applications will be accepted beginning January 7, 2021, through February 23, 2021, for programs beginning on July 1, 2021. These grants will enhance existing efforts to address impaired driving.

“These grants represent an opportunity for the CHP to work collaboratively with local traffic safety stakeholders to strategically address impaired driving issues while making California’s roadways a safer place to travel,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said.

Those interested in this grant opportunity can learn more about the program, obtain workshop updates, and view the 2021 Request for Application by visiting the Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program page on the CHP’s website, under the Programs and Services tab.

The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.