Important Update for Social Equity License Applicants: Maps Indicating “Disproportionately Impacted Areas” now online
The Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) website now features maps showing Disproportionately Impacted Areas (DIA) in Washington State. These interactive maps are an essential tool for ensuring applicants have met one of the three qualifications for the social equity program.
To qualify, each applicant must have at least a 51% majority ownership interest must be a person(s) who has resided in Washington State for six months prior to applying, and meets at least two of the following qualifications:
- The social equity applicant(s) have lived in a disproportionately impacted area (DIA) in Washington State for a minimum of five years between 1980 and 2010.
- The social equity applicant or a family member of the applicant has been arrested or convicted of a cannabis offense.
- The social equity applicant's household income in the year prior to submitting the application was less than the median household income within the state of Washington, which is $82,400.
On the LCB website, please find newly-posted maps indicating Disproportionately Impacted Areas. The interactive maps are an essential tool for identifying whether an applicant meets one of the three criteria (see above) to qualify for a program.
Disproportionately Impacted Areas were defined by the legislature. They include those census tracts that meet the following criteria:
- High poverty rate;
- High rate of participation in income-based federal programs;
- High rate of unemployment; and
- High rate of convictions.
LCB Social Equity in Cannabis Website
As always, the source for the most current information is the Social Equity section of the LCB website. Please visit our website to learn more about the social equity program, view the maps and access the training provided to prepare to apply for a license.
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