(a)Thirty days after the Social Equity Council posts the criteria for social equity applicants on its Internet web site, the department shall open up a three-month application period for cultivators during which a social equity applicant may apply to the department for a provisional cultivator license and final license for a cultivation facility located in a disproportionately impacted area without participating in a lottery or request for proposals. Such application for a provisional license shall be granted upon:
(1)Verification by the Social Equity Council that the applicant meets the criteria for a social equity applicant;
(2)the applicant submitting to and passing a criminal background check; and (3) payment of a three-million-dollar fee to be deposited in the Cannabis Social Equit
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(a) Thirty days after the Social Equity Council posts the criteria for social equity applicants on its Internet web site, the department shall open up a three-month application period for cultivators during which a social equity applicant may apply to the department for a provisional cultivator license and final license for a cultivation facility located in a disproportionately impacted area without participating in a lottery or request for proposals. Such application for a provisional license shall be granted upon: (1) Verification by the Social Equity Council that the applicant meets the criteria for a social equity applicant; (2) the applicant submitting to and passing a criminal background check; and (3) payment of a three-million-dollar fee to be deposited in the Cannabis Social Equity and Innovation Fund established in section 21a-420f. Upon granting such provisional license, the department shall notify the applicant of the project labor agreement requirements of section 21a-421e. The department shall not grant an application for a provisional cultivator license under this subsection after December 31, 2025. (b) To obtain a final cultivator license under this section, the social equity applicant shall provide evidence of: (1) A contract with an entity providing an approved electronic tracking system as described in section 21a-421n ; (2) a right to exclusively occupy the location at which the cultivation facility will be located, which location shall be situated (A) in a disproportionately impacted area, (B) on any reservation, as defined in section 47-63 , of the Schaghticoke, Paucatuck Eastern Pequot or Golden Hill Paugussett indigenous tribe recognized by this state under subsection (b) of section 47-59a , provided such reservation includes at least ten acres of contiguous land and such land comprised part of such reservation on July 1, 2024, (C) on any parcel of land owned in fee simple by any indigenous tribe recognized by this state under subsection (b) of section 47-59a , provided such parcel includes at least ten acres of contiguous land and is located in a municipality that, prior to July 1, 2024, contained any portion of a disproportionately impacted area, or (D) in the case of an exclusively outdoor grow, in a municipality containing any portion of a disproportionately impacted area, provided (i) such outdoor grow is conducted on land that such municipality has approved for agricultural or farming uses, and (ii) all cultivation complies with the provisions of the regulations adopted, and policies and procedures issued, pursuant to section 21a-421j permitting the outdoor cultivation of cannabis; (3) any necessary local zoning approval and permits for the cultivation facility; (4) a business plan; (5) a social equity plan approved by the Social Equity Council; (6) written policies for preventing diversion and misuse of cannabis and sales of cannabis to underage persons; and (7) blueprints of the facility and all other security requirements of the department.