Is Arizona doing enough to promote social equity in its adult-use cannabis market?
According to plaintiffs in a recently dismissed lawsuit, the answer is no.
Proposition 207, the 2020 voter-approved initiative that legalized adult-use cannabis in Arizona, mandates that 26 of 169 total adult-use cannabis retail licenses be awarded to applicants impacted by prohibition, leaving leeway in the actual implementation of a social equity program.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) has since announced that the 26 social equity dispensary licenses will be awarded to applicants who meet three of four qualifying criteria, which focus on household income, adverse impacts from the war on drugs and residency requirements.
Clark Wu Speaks to Cannabis Business Times About What's Next for Arizona.