Social Equity

The Latino Cannabis Association launched in New York this week aiming to represent and support Latino licensees, guide policy, and help construct a socially and economically equitable cannabis market.

Comedy Central’s ‘South Park’ recently skewered racial inequality in Colorado’s cannabis industry but while accurately depicting the racial imbalance among cannabis business owners, the show missed the mark on why advocates are calling for social equity.

Lawmakers in the Washington House on Tuesday failed to pass a bill to improve the state’s cannabis social equity considerations.

In an open letter to the industry published on Tuesday, the CEO of cannabis multistate operator Parallel pledged to support fundamental changes in the industry to improve equity in the space.

The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development announced a $35 million grant intended for communities that were most negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition.

This editorial was contributed by Christine De La Rosa, co-founder and CEO of The People’s Ecosystem, a California-based and equity-focused multistate cannabis operator.

Connecticut will start accepting applications for adult-use cannabis licenses next month. The first licenses will be for cultivators and retailers seeking social equity licenses.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) administration is reportedly expecting $1.25 billion in cannabis tax revenue over the next five years.

Delaware’s new cannabis legalization bill would drop a proposed social equity fund, opting instead for a “Justice Reinvestment Fund,” which would provide direct aid to those communities most negatively affected by prohibition.

Several Virginia GOP state lawmakers have pre-filed measures to strip social equity funding and other criminal justice initiatives from last year’s cannabis legalization bill.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is creating a $200 million fund for social equity applicants looking to join the adult-use cannabis industry.

Maryland state Sen. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore) plans to file an adult-use cannabis legalization bill next week which emphasizes social equity, home cultivation, and criminal justice reforms.

Connecticut has approved the state’s social equity cannabis rules and anticipates beginning to accept industry license applications next month.

The California Department of Cannabis Control announced it is now accepting applications for social equity cannabis license fee waivers.

Nearly 30 California cannabis companies have raised the alarm to warn Gov. Gavin Newsome and legislative leaders that the state’s legal cannabis industry “is collapsing” due to excessive taxes and regulations.

Illinois will attribute another $45 million derived from cannabis taxes toward community grants for communities most impacted by the war on drugs.

Arizona has received more than 1,500 applications for the state’s 26 cannabis social equity licenses, each worth potentially near $10 million. The licenses will be awarded in a random lottery selection next spring.

An Illinois lawsuit is preventing 118 new cannabis licensees, at least half of which are majority-owned by non-white applicants, from beginning operations.

New Mexico approved a $5 million loan program specifically for cannabis microbusinesses in an effort to advance the states’ social equity goals.

The Alliance for Cannabis Equity — a collaboration uniting the Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program and The WorkPlace — will focus on social equity and economic opportunities for Black and Brown entrepreneurs and workers.

How does investing in the individual benefit the collective, and why is accountability so important to a successful social equity program? A closer look at California sheds light on one of the cannabis industry’s most pressing issues.

The U.S. Cannabis Council and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation launched the Pathways to the C-Suite Internship program; the program places college seniors and recent college graduates with cannabis executives for mentorship.