Michael Halow News Today

“At this point, there really isn’t much of any way you could call it a social equity program, because most of the social equity qualified applicants have been bought out or pushed out of the licenses that they made possible.” By Natasha Yee, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting This story was originally published by the […]

Well-funded marijuana dispensaries sought Arizona applicants from marginalized communities early on, funding hundreds of applications for a potential stake in their businesses.

As Arizona’s social equity program nears an Oct. 8 deadline to open marijuana dispensaries, investors and others acquire more of the licenses.

When Arizona set out to legalize marijuana, backers emphasized their intent to make the program equitable and ensure that those who had been most hurt by cannabis criminalization were given priority in the new marketplace. Now, a new lawsuit is raising questions about whether the state is adequately meeting those equity goals. Of 26 business […]