The ballot initiative to legalize cannabis in Arizona set aside valuable dispensary licenses for communities unequally affected by enforcement of earlier laws against marijuana.
The window for the public to help state regulators define what this means and who it applies to closes at 11:59 p.m. Monday night.
The state health department seeks feedback on draft rules for who qualifies to pursue a so-called social equity cannabis license worth millions of dollars.
Demitri Downing is founder of the state’s Marijuana Industry Trade Association. He said Proposition 207 requires that the injustice suffered by those deemed eligible to seek a social equity license be tied to the drug war on cannabis.
“But how you establish that is a very complicated dilemma for the state regulators to enact,” said Downing.
NORML Arizona, an advocacy group for cannabis users, praised the state’s latest set of draft rules for social equity licenses. But said the rules still need improvement.
