WHAT IS THE CORE PROGRAM?
Created in 2018, the City of Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity (CORE) program was designed to address the impact of the War on Drugs on communities of color and other marginalized groups. It provides assistance and resources to help individuals and communities disproportionately affected by cannabis-related criminalization to enter and succeed in the legal cannabis industry.
Learn More:
- The council item containing the program description and benefits
- The resolution that created the program and
- The equity study that served as the basis for the program classifications
BENEFITS OF JOINING CORE
Joining the Core Program can provide a number of benefits for individuals and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization.
These benefits include:
ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
Provides a range of resources and support to help
individuals and communities access and succeed in the legal cannabis industry in Sacramento, such as small business management education, pre-application meetings, training, and financing.
WAIVED FEES
No Business Operating Permit (BOP) fees and no expedited building plan review fees.
SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY
By promoting social and economic equity in the cannabis industry and supporting the economic and social development of communities that were most affected by cannabis criminalization, the CORE Program can improve the livelihoods of individuals and families, and foster greater social and economic justice.
INVEST IN COMMUNITIES
Invests in and supports the development of communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization, helping to create jobs, businesses, and social programs, which can benefit the community as a whole by fostering economic growth, reducing inequality, promoting long-term, positive change, and improving overall community well-being and opportunities.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Access to state grant funds for grant programs and no interest revolving loan program.
PRIORITY PROCESSING
Supports the participation of individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization in the legal cannabis industry through priority processing of permits, which increases the chances of success and growth by obtaining a business operating permit faster and becoming operational sooner.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Joining the CORE program can provide the opportunity to start businesses, or access business grants, which can help to jumpstart a new business venture and allow participants to be part of the legal cannabis industry.
FINDING A SUITABLE SITE
Through Map Viewer, participants can research locations that may permit cannabis business operations within the city. Once participants identify the potential site, they can schedule a free CORE Participant Pre-Application Meeting with the Planning Division and other departments involved in the regulatory review steps to determine if the selected site is suitable for cannabis business activities.
Eligibility & Verification Process
Individuals
An individual that is eligible to participate in the program is either:
Classification 1:
A current or former resident of the City of Sacramento who previously resided or currently resides in a low-income household and was either:
Businesses
A cannabis business that is eligible to participate in the program is either:
Classification 3:
A cannabis business with not less than 51% ownership by individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria that reside within the city district in which their business sits, if any. If no such individuals exist, individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria from other applicable areas may be utilized.
Classification 4:
A cannabis business that is a CORE Incubator.
Classification 5:
A Cannabis Social Enterprise with not less than 51% ownership by individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria
a) arrested or convicted for a cannabis related crime in Sacramento between the years 1980 and 2011; or is
b) an immediate family member of an individual described in Subsection A of Classification 1 or Classification
Classification 2:
A current or former resident of the City of Sacramento who has lived in a low-income household for at least five (5) years, between the years of 1980 and 2011 in the following zip codes:
95811, 95815, 95817, 95820, 95823, 95824, 95826, 95828, and 95818.
Businesses
A cannabis business that is eligible to participate in the program is either:
Classification 3:
A cannabis business with not less than 51% ownership by individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria that reside within the city district in which their business sits, if any. If no such individuals exist, individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria from other applicable areas may be utilized.
Classification 4:
A cannabis business that is a CORE Incubator.
Classification 5:
A Cannabis Social Enterprise with not less than 51% ownership by individuals meeting Classifications 1 or 2 criteria