This page offers the most up-to-date information about the Social Equity Program and is updated regularly as information is available. Check out our page on what the LCB is doing now for our recent updates.
Interested in Applying?
The Social Equity Program application window will open beginning Mar. 1, 2023 and close Mar. 30, 2023. While applications are not yet open, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the program by reviewing the resources on this page.
- Learn more about the steps you can take to prepare to apply with our applicant checklist.
- See if you have address history in a Disproportionately Impacted Area (DIA) by accessing the map here.
- Check out more information on the allotted licenses for the social equity program here.
- See how social equity applications will be scored based on the finalized rubric here.
- Read the announcement of the March 1, 2023 opening in Spanish (Versión en Español)
- Questions? See if your questions have been addressed on our FAQ page, or submit your own.
Background of the Social Equity Program
The 2012 ballot measure Initiative 502, which legalized recreational use of cannabis by adults, did not include provisions or create programs to acknowledge the disproportionate harms the enforcement of cannabis laws had on certain populations and communities. The LCB recognizes that cannabis prohibition laws were disproportionately enforced for decades and that the cumulative harms from this enforcement remain today. In 2020, in response to a policy priority identified by the Board, the LCB developed agency-request legislation created the state Social Equity program, the Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force and the opportunity to provide a limited number of cannabis retail licenses to individuals disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws.