Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) recently announced an expansion to its Social Equity Program, initially developed to promote and encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people in communities disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. The expansion implicates particular eligibility standards and fee reductions for the MRA’s Social Equity Program, and goes into effect on June 1, 2020.
The MRA’s revision of eligibility criteria will increase the number of communities that are eligible for fee reductions and assistance with its social equity and adult-use applications. The eligibility criteria will now include the following:
Prior to the change in this particular eligibility standard, only communities that had 30% or more of the population living below the federal poverty level qualified for the Social Equity Program.
Furthermore, the MRA is expanding and clarifying the fee reductions offered under the Social Equity Program for an application submitted to the MRA in the following ways:
The MRA has stated that the fee reductions last indefinitely, until an applicant or licensee no longer is eligible for the reduction or moves out of a disproportionately impacted community. If applicants or licensees move out of a disproportionately impacted community, their reduction will expire two years after operating outside of the disproportionately impacted community.
If you would like further details regarding the MRA’s Social Equity Program, please contact Robert Hendricks, Alexandra Chitwood, or a member of Warner’s Cannabis Industry Group.
