Recently, our experts led a webinar outlining everything you need to know to get your Los Angeles cannabis business license. If you missed it, you can listen to the full webinar on-demand. We covered many topics, including Los Angeles’ cannabis social equity program.
Los Angeles’ cannabis social equity program is a part of the city’s commercial cannabis licensing system. The goal is to give a boost to past victims of cannabis criminalization by offering assistance and benefits to any communities that were unfairly punished by the drug war. Read on for more information on how this program works and how your cannabis business might be able to participate in the program. What is Los Angeles’ Cannabis Social Equity Program? LA’s social equity program has the stated goal of promoting “equitable ownership and employment opportunities in the cannabis industry in order to decrease disparities in life outcomes for marginalized communities and to address the disproportionate impacts of the war on drugs in those communities.” The program intends to offer assistance in the form of funding, physical space, and a separate licensing timeline to any commercial cannabis licensees who meet the program criteria. Some of the program benefits as of July 2018 include:
As you can tell from some of the notes next to the listed benefits, the city is still developing the specific benefits of the cannabis social equity program. Who qualifies for Los Angeles’ Cannabis Social Equity Program? There are three tiers qualifications under which a prospective cannabis business owner might qualify for the social equity program.
Please note that to be eligible for the benefits of the social equity program, you must own at least one third (and for Tier 1, 51%) of the business applying for the license. Even if you do not fall under one of the three tiers, you can qualify for the social equity program. To do so, you can either pay a fee to the city fund or agreeing to provide a small portion of your physical space to help the beneficiaries of the program. How can I apply for Los Angeles’ Cannabis Social Equity Program? If you recall from our webinar, Los Angeles is issuing cannabis business licenses in three phases. Phase 2 of the cannabis licensing program started on August 1 and will remain open for 30 days. During this phase, applicants must qualify under the social equity program. You can currently apply for a Phase 2 license on the Los Angeles City cannabis page. Read this primer for instructions on how to log in to your account and submit an application. Our experts are standing by to help out if you have any questions. For more information on getting your cannabis business license in Los Angeles, check out our webinar or read our three-part guide on cannabis in Los Angeles:
If you have specific questions related to your business, please get in touch with our experts today. |