Despite the promise of social equity leveling the playing field in the marijuana industry, most diversity applicants and license holders believe the cards are stacked against them.
From Los Angeles to Boston, common obstacles include limited access to capital, complicated application processes, real estate priced well above market rates and bureaucratic logjams.
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“If you’ve never operated a licensed facility before, you probably don’t really know where to start,” said Juan Aguirre, who was a nurse manager and medical marijuana caregiver in Michigan before he started making the right industry connections.
The entrepreneur was one of four social equity retail operators who shared with MJBizDaily their frustrations, disappointments and setbacks while trying to navigate government-run programs specifically created to help them succeed.
Location, location, location
Aguirre submitted 10 applications at $2,500 apiece in December 2019 to enter Illinois’ lottery system
The state finally issued its first 185 licenses this
Read full article on Marijuana Business Daily
