Washington Administrative Code › Title 314 - Liquor and Cannabis Board › Chapter 314-55 - Cannabis licenses, application process, requirements, and reporting › Section 314-55-570 - Social equity in cannabis program

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1)
Definitions.
(a)
"Disproportionately impacted area (DIA)"
means a census tract
			 within Washington state where community members were more likely to be impacted
			 by the war on drugs. These areas are determined using a standardized
			 statistical equation to identify areas of high unemployment, low income, and
			 demographic indicators consistent with populations most impacted by the war on
			 drugs, including areas with higher rates of arrest for drug charges. The board
			 will provide maps to identify disproportionately impacted areas. The maps will
			 reflect census tracts from different time periods to account for
			 gentrification.
(b)
"Family
			 member"
means:
(i) A biological,
			 adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a child's spouse, or a child to whom the
			 applicant stands in loco parentis (in place of the parent), is a legal
			 guardian, or is a de facto parent, regardless of age or dependency
			 status;
(ii) Grandchild,
			 grandparent, parent, or sibling of a child as defined in (b)(i) of this
			 subsection;
(iii) Spouse or
			 domestic partner;
(iv) Any
			 individual who regularly resides in the applicant's home or where the
			 relationship creates an expectation that the applicant care for the person and
			 that individual depends on the applicant for care, or that the individual care
			 for the applicant and that the applicant depends on the individual for
			 care.
(c)
"Median
			 household income"
means the most recent median household income within
			 the state of Washington as calculated by the United States Census
			 Bureau.
(d)
"Person"
means a real human being, distinguished from a corporation, company, or other
			 business entity.
(e)
"Preliminary letter of approval"
means an approval letter issued
			 to a social equity program applicant for purposes of securing a grant from the
			 department of commerce and a location and other necessities to complete the
			 licensing process.
(f)
"Social equity program applicant"
means a person(s) who meets the
			 requirements of the social equity program.
(g)
"Social equity contractor"
means a third party responsible to review and score social equity program
			 applications.
(h)
"Social
			 equity licensee"
means a person or entity that holds a social equity
			 cannabis license or any person or entity who is a true party of interest in a
			 social equity in cannabis license as described in WAC
			 314-55-035.
(i)
"Social equity plan"
means a
			 plan that addresses the following elements including, but not limited to:
(i) A description of how issuing a cannabis
			 retail license to the social equity applicant will meet social equity goals as
			 described in statute;
(ii) The
			 social equity applicant's personal or family history with the criminal justice
			 system, including any offenses involving cannabis; and
(iii) Business plans involving partnerships
			 or assistance to organizations or residents with connections or contributions
			 to populations with a history of high rates of enforcement of cannabis
			 prohibition.
(j)
"Social equity title certificate holder"
means a cannabis retail
			 license title certificate holder that meets the requirements of a social equity
			 program applicant as determined by the social equity contractor, and is unable
			 to open for business in the city or county where the cannabis retail license is
			 located.