Anyone interested in submitting an application for a cannabis business license preapproval during the window beginning July 24 and closing Aug. 12 must be verified as a social equity applicant, as required by law.  

OCM will provide additional rounds to verify social equity status as well as additional application rounds for licenses with social equity classification when general licensing opens in 2025. 

Applicants who are verified in this first round will be able to submit an application for business license preapproval when that application window opens on July 24. Submitted license applications will go through a review and vetting process, and if qualified, be entered into a lottery, which is planned for this fall. 

Potential social equity applicants should start the verification process early. The verification system will close to applicants on July 10. Eligibility requirements and technical support resources are posted on OCM’s website. 

“We encourage potential applicants to start this process as soon as possible to ensure they have enough time to collect the required documents and complete the process,” said Charlene Briner, OCM interim director. “We will continue to add materials and information resources to our website to support applicants every step of the way.”