Cannabis Equity Applicant Requirements

Requirements for Individual(s) Applicants:

• Applicant must be a person twenty-one (21) years of older
• Applicant must be a current or former resident of the City of Richmond who previously resided or current resides in a low-income household.
  • “Low-income household” means a household whose income does not exceed 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) applicable to Contra Costa County, adjusted for family size as published and annually updated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937
• Applicant must satisfy either Classification 1 or 2
  • Classification 1 (for individuals):
    • Applicant must meets at least one (1) of the following criteria: 
      • arrested or convicted in California for any crime under the laws of the State of California or the United States relating to the sale, possession, use, manufacture, or cultivation of Cannabis that occurred prior to November 8, 2016;
      • or is an immediate family member (a person in the first, second, or third degree of lineal or collateral kinship as defined in chapter 13 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the California Probate Code) of an individual described in subsection a of Classification 1 or Classification 2
  • Classification 2 (for individuals):
    • Applicant must meets at least one (1) of the following criteria: 
      • Has lived in the City of Richmond for at least four (4) years; 
      • Attended a school in the City of Richmond under the jurisdiction of the West Contra Costa Unified School District for five (5) years, either consecutively or in total, during the period 1971-2016; 
      • Has lived in public housing in the City of Richmond for at least four (4) years;
      • After 1995, either lost housing in the City of Richmond, as evidenced by eviction, foreclosure, or revocation of housing subsidy

Requirements for Business Applicants:

• Applicant must be a firm, organization, association, partnership, business trust, corporation, company, or like entity.
• Applicant must satisfy either Classification 3 or 4 to be eligible to participate in the program.
  • Classification 3 (for Businesses):
    • A cannabis business with not less than 51% ownership interest by individuals meeting Classification 1 or 2 criteria and their business resides within the City of Richmond. If no such individual exists, individuals meeting Classification 1 or 2 criteria from other applicable areas may be utilized.
  • Classification 4 (for businesses):
    • A cannabis business that is an incubator. “Incubator” means a cannabis business which as a condition for receiving priority processing, either:
      • Hosts a participant; 30% of its workforce are Classification 1 or 2 eligible participants, measured by hours worked; and contracts no less than 51% of its cannabis products or services and ancillary business support with eligible participants;
        • “Host” means to rent or lease operations-ready building or floor space to a participant that resides in the city where the cannabis business sits, if any, free of charge for two years, or at a rate of 33% of the market value for four years; and to provide that participant with business or technical assistance (e.g., business plan development, coaching on access to capital, and establishing a lawful business, or use of equipment). If no such participants exist, participants from other applicable areas shall be utilized.
      • or Is a shared manufacturing cannabis business and donates at least 10% of its hours of operation to allow participant(s) to utilize 100% of its business’ floor space and equipment;
      • or Is a cannabis business that sells, gives or otherwise transfers no less than a 33% equity share in the Incubator’s cannabis business to eligible program participants; 30% of its workforce be Classification 1 or 2 eligible; and contracts no less than 30% of its cannabis and ancillary business with Classification 1 or 2 eligible participants. Incubators shall host, donate to, employ, contract with, sell, give, or transfer to participants that reside within the City in which the Incubator sits. If no such participants exist, Incubators shall utilize participants from other applicable areas.