Maryland Cannabis Business Licensing: Upcoming Deadlines for Social Equity Applicants
By Meg Nash, Bridgette Nikisher
Nov 1, 2023
The clock is ticking—Maryland’s Social Equity Verification Portal will close on Tuesday, November 7.
Have you completed your verification application? We recommend doing so as soon as possible to ensure that the Office of Social Equity has time to review your application and certify your social equity status.
You will not be able to apply for a license in this upcoming application round without proof of social equity status verification, so we’ve prepared a list to help guide you through what you will need.
Cannabis Business Licensing Interest Form—Must Submit by November 6
Applicants must complete the Cannabis Business Licensing Interest Form to get access to the Social Equity Verification Portal by November 6, 2023. This link will stop accepting inquiries after November 6. Please complete this ASAP to ensure that you have sufficient time to complete the Social Equity Verification Portal.
Once the Cannabis Business Licensing Interest Form has been submitted, you will receive an email from donotreply@creativeservices.com providing a link to access the portal. This will be sent to the email address included on the Cannabis Business Licensing Interest Form, so make sure to double-check the spelling when you fill out the form.
Social Equity Verification Portal
You will be asked to provide identifying information including your name, social security of ITIN number, date of birth, current address, and phone number. Then, you will be asked to identify how you qualify for social equity status and will be asked to upload documentation of such.
Education Verification
Did you attend a public school in a disproportionately impacted area for at least five years or did you attend one of the following universities for at least two years?
- Bowie State University
- Coppin State University
- Morgan State University
- The University of Baltimore
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Washington Adventist University
If yes, you will need to provide the following information:
- School Name
- City, State, and Zip Code
- Dates Attended (From – To)
- Major
- Degree Type
- Graduation Date (MM/DD/YYYY)
To prove attendance, you will need to provide school transcripts or enrollment documents validating your education. Please let us know if you have questions about what enrollment documents would qualify.
Disproportionately Impacted Area Residency Verification
Have you had an address or multiple addresses in a Disproportionately Impacted Area for at least five of the last ten years (2014 – 2023)? The years do not have to be consecutive.
If yes, you will need to provide the following information:
- Full Address
- Type of residence (Lease/Rent, Own, Public Housing)
- Move-in Date
- Move-out Date
Additionally, for each qualifying address where you lived, you will need to provide a minimum of two documents validating your address. One must validate your move-in date and the other must validate your move-out date. Acceptable documentation includes:
- Copy of Lease
- Driver’s License/Gov’t-Issued ID featuring address
- Mortgage Loan
- Bank Statement
- Utility bill
- W-2/1099
- Tax Return
- Court Document
- Credit Card Statement
- Housing Authority Record
If documents are not available, please provide contact information below for non-family members (e.g. landlord or neighbor) who can validate your address.
Additional Documents
In addition to the qualifying information and documentation outlined above, you will need to sign a Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Investigation. These forms can be completed online.
View more information about the application and templates.
We are here to help! With the application portal opening on November 13, please reach out to Meg Nash at M.Nash@vicentellp.com to schedule a consultation to discuss how Vicente LLP may be able to support you through this application round.