The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) announced this week that the application window for cannabis social equity licenses will begin on March 1 and will continue for 30 days. Applicants will have until March 30 at 5:00 pm to complete and file their applications.
Under Washington’s cannabis social equity program, regulators are making available “44 retail licenses that were forfeited, canceled, revoked, or never issued.” The licenses “will be available in jurisdictions across the state,” the agency announced in an email.
In order to qualify for one of the licenses, applicants must have lived in Washington state for at least six months before submitting their application, and must satisfy at least two of the following requirements:
- The applicant must have lived in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five years between 1980 and 2010.
- The applicant or a family member of the applicant must have been arrested for, or convicted of, a cannabis-related offense.
- The applicant’s household income in the year before applying must have been less than the median household income within Washington state ($82,400).
LCB also announced upcoming webinars on January 24 and January 28 that will help social equity applicants navigate the licensing process and acquire necessary documentation.
The agency is also coordinating additional tools for would-be applicants including free educational programs covering “an introduction to business concepts such as financing, marketing, taxes and business planning,” as well as a roster of mentors via the Department of Commerce which will support early-stage entrepreneurs in their pursuit of starting a cannabis business.
Interested parties should visit the social equity section of the LCB website to learn more about the program’s qualifications and to get started on the application process, the agency said.
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