§ 87. Social and economic equity, minority and women-owned businesses,\ndistressed farmers and service-disabled veterans; incubator program. 1.\nThe board, in consultation with the chief equity officer and executive\ndirector, and after receiving public input shall create and implement a\nsocial and economic equity plan and actively promote applicants from\ncommunities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, and\npromote racial, ethnic, and gender diversity when issuing licenses for\nadult-use cannabis related activities, including mentoring potential\napplicants, by prioritizing consideration of applications by applicants\nwho are from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement\nof cannabis prohibition or who qualify as a minority or women-owned\nbusiness, distressed farmers, or service-disabled veterans. Such\nqualifications shall be determined by the board, with recommendations\nfrom the state cannabis advisory board, the chief equity officer and\nexecutive director, by regulation.\n 2. The board's social and economic equity plan shall also promote\ndiversity in commerce, ownership and employment, and opportunities for\nsocial and economic equity in the adult-use cannabis industry. A goal\nshall be established to award fifty percent of adult-use cannabis\nlicenses to social and economic equity applicants and ensure inclusion\nof:\n (a) individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the\nenforcement of cannabis prohibition;\n (b) minority-owned businesses;\n (c) women-owned businesses;\n (d) minority and women-owned businesses, as defined in paragraph (d)\nof subdivision five of this section;\n (e) distressed farmers, as defined in subdivision five of this\nsection; and\n (f) service-disabled veterans.\n 3. The social and economic equity plan shall require the consideration\nof additional criteria in its licensing determinations. Under the social\nand economic equity plan, extra priority shall be given to applications\nthat demonstrate that an applicant:\n (a) is a member of a community disproportionately impacted by the\nenforcement of cannabis prohibition;\n (b) has an income lower than eighty percent of the median income of\nthe county in which the applicant resides; and\n (c) was convicted of a marihuana-related offense prior to the\neffective date of this chapter, or had a parent, guardian, child,\nspouse, or dependent, or was a dependent of an individual who, prior to\nthe effective date of this chapter, was convicted of a marihuana-related\noffense.\n 4. The board in consultation with the cannabis advisory board and the\nchief equity officer, shall also create an incubator program to\nencourage social and economic equity applicants to apply and, if granted\nan adult-use cannabis license, permit or registration, the program shall\nprovide direct support in the form of counseling services, education,\nsmall business coaching and financial planning, and compliance\nassistance.\n 5. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall\napply:\n (a) "Minority-owned business" shall mean a business enterprise,\nincluding a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company\nor corporation that is:\n (i) at least fifty-one percent owned by one or more minority group\nmembers;\n (ii) an enterprise in which such minority ownership is real,\nsubstantial and continuing;\n (iii) an enterprise in which such minority ownership has and exercises\nthe authority to control independently the day-to-day business decisions\nof the enterprise;\n (iv) an enterprise authorized to do business in this state and\nindependently owned and operated; and\n (v) an enterprise that is a small business.\n (b) "Minority group member" shall mean a United States citizen or\npermanent resident noncitizen who is and can demonstrate membership in\none of the following groups:\n (i) black persons having origins in any of the black African racial\ngroups;\n (ii) Hispanic pers
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