SOCIAL EQUITY APPLICANTS’ CANNABIS RESOURCES

Resources

Social Equity Plans

Please see link below for Social Equity Plan Technical Assistance.  This document will show how to develop a social equity plan based on the criteria approved by the Council. The purpose of this document is to assist social equity licensees in developing a social equity plan that meets the criteria established by the SEC.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENT  

Social Equity Applicant Policies & Procedures

Social Equity Council Policies and Procedure 

Social Equity Applicant Income and Residency Document 

Social Equity Applicant Ownership & Control Criteria Document 

Workforce Development Plan Criteria 

Workforce Development Scoring Rubric 

Cannabis Career Pathways 

SEC Workforce Budget Template 

SOCIAL EQUITY COUNCIL USEFUL LINKS

2023 DIA Map

The Social Equity Council voted on August 1, 2023 to recertify the DIA Map by approving the 2023 recommended disproportionately impacted areas.

The 2023 approved tracts have been published on the Connecticut Open Data Portal.

SEA PROGRAM

Social Equity Accelerator Program

The State of Connecticut’s Social Equity Council has selected Oaksterdam University, America’s first cannabis college, in partnership with reSET, the social impact-focused entrepreneurial support organization based in Hartford, to provide the Cannabis Business Accelerator Program in Connecticut.

Technical business assistance and entrepreneurial support is available through the program to verified social equity applicants to assist in planning to start licensed cannabis businesses and promote regulatory compliance and industry best practices. For inquiries about Connecticut’s Social Equity Program, please email SEC@CT.GOV.

(Note to team: the link on the current version should read Social Equity Accelerator Program, not Oaksterdam)

Meet the Coalition Partners

Minority Cannabis Business Association

Founded in 2015, the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) is the largest national trade association dedicated to minority cannabis businesses and their communities.
  • Oaksterdam University 
    Programs promote education as the path to equitable ownership.
  • Reset 
    reSET is driven by the conviction that every business can consciously improve society.
  • Arcview 
    Group has over a decade of experience assisting thousands of cannabis operators.
  • Incba 
    Founded to serve the local, state, national, and international practice of cannabis law across the globe.

Erase Your Criminal History and Get a Fresh Start for Justice

It’s time to wipe the slate clean. Social justice, equity, and a fair shot at building a future matter in Connecticut. That’s why we’ve passed the Clean Slate bill for old and low-level criminal convictions. We also passed the Cannabis erasure laws to help wipe away criminal histories now that adult-use Cannabis is legal.

Your future doesn’t have to be limited because of mistakes made years or even decades ago.

MBE DBE Vendor and Contractor List

The Social Equity Council has created the following list of organizations which provide technical assistance, access to capital and supportive services to Connecticut based MBE/DBE. Please contact these organizations for a list/referral to certified businesses that can provide a variety of professional services for cannabis business. Services include, but are not limited to, office supplies, information technology infrastructure, security, construction, general contracting, design, website design, graphic design, accounting, and cleaning services.


Anne Marie Knight
Executive Director
Black Business Alliance 
annemarie@bbusinessalliance.org
Welcome to the Black Business Alliance (bbusinessalliance.org)
Jennifer Little-Greer
Executive Director
Minority Construction Council (MCC) 
jlittle-greer@mccforct.org
Minority Construction Council - Advancing the cause of minority contractors (mccforct.org)
Kim Hawkins
President/CEO 
Hartford Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) 
kimh@hedcoinc.com
Home - HEDCO Inc. CT’s Small Business Edge
Meg Yetishefsky
Program Manager 
Supplier Diversity Program (Set Aside Program) 
Meg.Yetishefsky@ct.gov
Supplier Diversity (ct.gov)
Tom McMillian
Director
203-395-0771 
The Minority Business Association and Center for Joint Ventures 
Tommfxa@sbcglobal.net
Minority Business Association And Center For Joint Ventures | Bridgeport CT | Facebook
Debra Goss
Director
CT Department of Transportation(CTDOT) – Office of Equity 
Debra.Goss@ct.gov 
Company Search (ct.gov)
Julio Mendoza
Executive Director
Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) 
julio_mendoza@samact.org
SAMA – Spanish American Merchants Association: Welcome and Hello (samact.org)
Adam Wood
President
Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce 
adam@ctcannabischamber.org
Home | CT CANNABIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Fran Pastore
Chief Executive Officer
Woman’s Business Development Council 
fpastore@ctwbdc.org
ctwbdc.org
Kenyétta Banks
Program Manager 
kbanks@ctwbdc.org
ctwbdc.org