Social Equity

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.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation expanding the number of people eligible for medical cannabis licenses, including those with cannabis-related criminal charges.

Fab 5 Freddy and Bernard Noble are partners in B Noble, a cannabis brand operating under Curaleaf’s Rooted in Good corporate social responsibility program.

Adult-use cannabis home delivery began in Massachusetts this year but due to new regulations, namely requirements on drivers, vehicles, and surveillance, delivery companies are unable to earn a profit.

Cannabis regulators in Oakland, California have sent several of the city’s social equity licensees to collections over unpaid loans.

The executive branch and legislative negotiators in Rhode Island are close to reaching a deal on regulating adult cannabis use, but additional discussions are needed for agreement on issues including taxes.

Flowhub, a retail point-of-sale platform for cannabis dispensaries, announced on Tuesday the closing of $19 million in strategic funding. The sum includes a personal investment by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

Keith Stephenson is the founder and CEO of Purple Heart, the longest-running cannabis dispensary in Oakland, California, and the country’s first Black-owned cannabis business.

Arizona has identified 87 zip codes where applicants for the state’s cannabis social equity licensed must have lived in recent years.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a measure by Mayor London Breed to update the city’s social equity program.

Connecticut’s Social Equity Council has asked regulators to charter new banks to support the state’s cannabis industry and give better opportunities for social equity applicants.

The California Department of Cannabis Control released guidelines and application requirements for a new $100M grant program aimed at transitioning provisional licenses to permanent annual licenses.

Connecticut’s Commissioner for the Department of Consumer Protection recently warned that the state’s roll-out of adult-use cannabis sales is likely to face delays.

Cara Wietstock, host of Fresh Cut by Ganjapreneur, meets with Rebecca Colett, CEO of Detroit, Michigan-based cannabis brand Calyxeum, and Founder of the social equity incubator The Detroit Cannabis Project, to discuss embarking on a career in cannabis, how to become a cannabis brand that empowers and engages with the surrounding community, and the negative impacts of corporate weed on the industry.

TILT Holdings is partnering with Long Island, New York’s Shinnecock Indian Nation to establish vertical cannabis operations on their tribal territory in the Hamptons.