342.17 SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANTS.

(a) An applicant qualifies as a social equity applicant if the applicant:

(1) was found delinquent for, received a stay of adjudication for, or was convicted of an offense involving the possession or sale of cannabis or marijuana prior to May 1, 2023;

(2) had a parent, guardian, child, spouse, or dependent who was convicted of an offense involving the possession or sale of cannabis or marijuana prior to May 1, 2023;

(3) was a dependent of an individual who was convicted of an offense involving the possession or sale of cannabis or marijuana prior to May 1, 2023;

(4) is a military veteran, including a service-disabled veteran, current or former member of the national guard;

(5) is a military veteran or current or former member of the national guard who lost honorable status due to an offense involving the possession or sale of cannabis or marijuana;

(6) has been a resident for the last five years of one or more subareas, such as census tracts or neighborhoods:

(i) that experienced a disproportionately large amount of cannabis enforcement as determined by the study conducted by the office pursuant to section 342.04, paragraph (b), or another report based on federal or state data on arrests or convictions;

(ii) where the poverty rate was 20 percent or more;

(iii) where the median family income did not exceed 80 percent of the statewide median family income or, if in a metropolitan area, did not exceed the greater of 80 percent of the statewide median family income or 80 percent of the median family income for that metropolitan area;

(iv) where at least 20 percent of the households receive assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; or

(v) where the population has a high level of vulnerability according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) Social Vulnerability Index; or

(7) has participated in the business operation of a farm for at least three years and currently provides the majority of the day-to-day physical labor and management of a farm that had gross farm sales of at least $5,000 but not more than $100,000 in the previous year.

(b) The qualifications described in paragraph (a) apply to each individual applicant or, in the case of a business entity, apply to at least 65 percent of the controlling ownership of the business entity.

History:

2023 c 63 art 1 s 17; 2024 c 121 art 2 s 71; 2025 c 31 s 48

History: History: 2023 c 63 art 1 s 17; 2024 c 121 art 2 s 71; 2025 c 31 s 48