Social Equity Program

The County of San Diego is working to develop ordinance amendments and a new permitting system that would allow for additional commercial medicinal and adult-use cannabis operations in the unincorporated area of the County. The Board directed that these efforts prioritize social equity, access, and business opportunities to help rectify the disproportionate and adverse impacts on people of color and communities caused by the War on Drugs. Specifically, the Board directed that a social equity program be included as part of the wider proposed Socially Equitable Cannabis Program.

The social equity program is to be in place prior to the issuance of the first permit. To accomplish this, the proposed Social Equity Program must be developed and implemented concurrently with the development of the ordinance amendments and new permitting system.

The goal of the Social Equity Program is to ensure that those negatively or adversely impacted by cannabis criminalization be provided the opportunity to successfully participate in the regulated cannabis market (California Cannabis Equity Act). To that end, the Social Equity Program would include different types of assistance to support eligible applicants and may include investing back into impacted communities.

In developing the Social Equity Program, many factors will be considered including:

- Accessibility

- Equity

- State and local cannabis laws and guidelines

- Investment into impacted communities

- Stakeholder input