Well-funded marijuana dispensaries sought Arizona applicants from marginalized communities early on, funding hundreds of applications for a potential stake in their businesses.
The legal director for marijuana reform organization Arizona NORML told the council the firm owning the license had a reputation for being, "the most exploitative of social equity applicants.”
Two years since 26 social equity applicants were awarded to benefit communities affected by previous marijuana laws, existing dispensaries have have equity in more than half of them.