The city could require half of any future cannabis businesses to be minority-owned as part of an overhaul of how the industry operates in Hayward.
Other changes could include speeding up the process to secure a permit for people of color who apply to open a cannabis business, as well as allowing those arrested or convicted of possessing cannabis to successfully apply.
The idea is to compensate for blacks and Latinos being disproportionately affected through arrests and incarceration when cannabis was illegal, according to Jeremy Lochirco, Hayward’s principal planner.
“We are making sure that marginalized communities are not, in fact, barred from entry into the Hayward scene,” Lochirco told the City Council earlier this month, when it held a session on the local cannabis industry and heard suggestions for streamlining how the businesses are licensed and approved.
Read more at eastbaytimes.com
