Colorado created a Social Equity Licensee designation (CRS §44-10-308) for applicants harmed by cannabis prohibition. Boulder reserves a tier of cannabis license types — including delivery and accelerator participation — for state-certified equity applicants.
Colorado's Social Equity Licensee program, created by HB20-1424 and codified at CRS §44-10-308, certifies applicants who lived in a high-poverty census tract, had a marijuana-related arrest, or have household income below an eligibility threshold. Boulder participates in the program by reserving cannabis delivery permits and accelerator-host arrangements for state-certified equity licensees during initial application windows. Equity licensees pay reduced city application fees and may co-locate on a host's premises under an accelerator agreement. The Colorado Cannabis Business Office offers grants and loans to certified applicants. Boulder's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinates outreach to ensure local Black, Indigenous, and Latino entrepreneurs are aware of the certification pathway.
Misrepresenting eligibility for Social Equity Licensee status is grounds for license denial or revocation by the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division and can support fraud charges by the state Attorney General.
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See how Boulder's social equity licensing rules stack up against other locations.
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