Arizona Social Equity Marijuana Program

LEARN ABOUT PROP 207’S SOCIAL EQUITY OWNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR ARIZONA’S ADULT-USE MARIJUANA MARKET

The Smart and Safe Arizona Act, which is a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use (recreational) marijuana in Arizona, will appear on the November 2020 ballot as Proposition 207 (Prop 207).

Besides allowing marijuana for recreational use for persons 21 years and older, the initiative includes a social equity program as well. Included in Proposition 207 is the establishment of a Social Equity Ownership Program (SEOP), which would issue licenses to entities whose owners are “from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws.” In addition to awarding roughly 160 marijuana establishment licenses statewide, the state will allocate 26 additional social equity licenses reserved for social equity applicants.

While the initiative does not fully detail how this Social Equity Ownership Program will be administered, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will be responsible for establishing rules and regulations for the program. The rules will define who can qualify as an applicant under this social equity program, and details on how qualified applicants can apply for a marijuana establishment license. Once the rules are finalized, the ADHS will have no more than six (6) months to implement the Social Equity Ownership Program and issue the marijuana establishment licenses.

To sum, there are approximately 160 marijuana establishment licenses available if Prop 207 passes, in addition to the additional 26 social equity licenses. If you are interested in applying for a marijuana establishment license in Arizona, email us to discuss how we may be able to assist you.

Arizona Social Equity Marijuana