California: First Weed Store Operated by Social Equity License Holder Opened in Sacramento City

Two years after Sacramento City Council had authorized 10 retail licenses for those impacted by the war or arrested, the first weed store, operated by the social equity license holder, opened in a city. This was a beneficial step after the legalization of recreational marijuana sales.

The 10 candidates for the dispensary opening were picked up from more than 125 applicants. The candidates were permitted to cooperate with outer partners for funding.

The major players in the dispensary business are:

• Jackson - He is a native resident of South Sacramento and has many relatives sentenced to arrest because of weed possession before its legalization. Jackson owns 51% of Embarc Sacramento. The latter became the 1st operational dispensary under Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity plan.
• Carpenter- The remaining 49% belongs to Carpenter whose husband Moore played a great role in developing Proposition 64 in 2016. It concluded with the legalization of recreational cannabis.

Also, there are other major players, such as the US Shryne Group which is among the largest marijuana companies.

Yet, the approval is only the beginning of the certification process. An important fact is that the qualifying candidates have a certain time frame (until April 2024) to open a dispensary. Otherwise, they will lose their licensed dispensary-opening permission.