Arizona suit aims to keep social equity permits away from marijuana MSOs

A lawsuit filed against the state of Arizona by a cohort of social equity advocates alleges that regulators haven’t done enough to ensure that 26 cannabis business permits will wind up with entrepreneurs who were actually harmed by the war on drugs and that the licenses might instead become controlled by marijuana multistate operators.

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Arizona tightens social equity rules in advance of cannabis licensing

Arizona regulators finalized rules for the 26 social equity licenses to be issued as part of the state’s adult-use cannabis program, adding language that prevents an applicant from entering into a prior agreement to sell or transfer the license to a nonqualifying operator.

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