Social Equity All-Star Program Recognition Criteria

In order to qualify for the bronze level of the All-Star Program, licensees must publish their social equity plan on the CRA website. 

Licensees’ social equity plans should consider the following when developing and implementing their social equity plans – determine if the municipality where the licensee plans to operate has enacted any requirements related to social equity, use the social equity plan to complement the licensee’s business strategic goals and objectives, and lastly, identify the primary component(s) of the social equity plan – employment, educational or mentorship programs, monetary assistance, or training.

An advisory bulletin detailing guidance regarding social equity plans can be found on the CRA’s website here. 

In order to qualify for the silver level of the All-Star Program, licensees must meet the bronze level requirements and also publish their corporate spend plan on the CRA website. 

Licensees’ corporate spend plans should include a dedicated percentage of the business’ annual spending to diverse supplier(s). Licensees can find a list of certified diverse suppliers by utilizing the list of external resources here. 

There are many ways in which licensees can spend money with diverse suppliers within the cannabis supply chain, including, but not limited to, legal, accounting, real estate, architect, interior designer, security, insurance, marketing, packaging, and printing. Payroll is not considered to be part of a corporate spend plan.

In order to qualify for the gold level of the All-Star Program, licensees must meet the silver level requirements and publish their community reinvestment plan on the CRA website.

Licensees’ community reinvestment plans should detail the licensee’s volunteer time or donation percentages of their revenue to organizations, non-profits, and/or charities which positively impact any of the groups in these identified categories: 

Category one: Organizations within communities the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) has identified as disproportionately impacted. A list of those communities can be found here. 

Category two: Individuals or groups in any of the following categories: Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Women, Veterans, Native American tribes, LGBTQ, People with Disabilities, and returning citizens