PONTIAC, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The city of Pontiac is spending $10,000 to hire a Social Equity Advisor whose responsibility will be to review the equity plans of adult-use marijuana business applications.

Reparations and marijuana laws.

It all centers around what the city calls its goal to provide reparations to people within the city who have historically been negatively impacted by marijuana laws.

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The city created its “Social Equity Program” on July 30, 2024 “to promote and encourage participation and ownership in the marihuana industry by local residents that have been disproportionately impacted by marihuana prohibition and enforcement.”

Pontiac licenses a “Social Equity Qualified Business” if certain requirements are met. Applicants must meet residency requirements as well as having a misdemeanor and felony conviction involving a marijuana-related offense.

Social-equity plans.

Applicants have to submit a social-equity plan and have social equity participation.

The example the city gave is hiring low-income employees who have been negatively impacted by marijuana prohibition. The city calls upon these businesses to make a “good-faith effort” to hire 25% of its employees who are low-income residents and live within the city.

Those applications would be reviewed by the Social Equity Consultant, which was approved at the April 1 city council meeting.

Cannabis Pontiac, the Social Equity Program for the city, also offers job training and business development services to residents involved in the cannabis industry.