1. (a) There is an Office of Social Equity within the Department.

2. (b)

   1. (1) The Governor shall appoint an Executive Director of the Office of Social Equity.
   2. (2) The Executive Director of the Office of Social Equity shall have at least 5 years of experience in civil rights advocacy, civil rights litigation, or another area of social justice.
3. (c) The Office of Social Equity may employ staff and retain contractors as may be required to carry out the functions of the Office.

4. (d) The Office of Social Equity shall:

   1. (1) promote and encourage full participation in the regulated cannabis industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs in order to positively impact those communities;
   2. (2) with the assistance of the Comptroller, oversee the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund under § 1-3A-03 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article;
   3. (3) consult with and assist the Department of Commerce in the administration of the Cannabis Business Assistance Fund under § 5-1901 of the Economic Development Article;
   4. (4) identify and oppose regulations that unnecessarily burden or undermine the legislative intent of the Office, including regulations that impose undue restrictions or financial requirements;
   5. (5) oversee the appropriation of funds and the training of recipients of funds from the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund under § 1-3A-03 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article;

   6. (6) provide recommendations to the Maryland Cannabis Administration on regulations related to:

      1. (i) diversity; and
      2. (ii) social equity applications;
   7. (7) work with the Maryland Cannabis Administration to implement free technical assistance for social equity and minority cannabis business applicants;
   8. (8) produce reports and recommendations on diversity and equity in ownership, management, and employment in the legal cannabis economy; and
   9. (9) assist businesses with obtaining financing through the Capital Access Program under Title 36, Subtitle 14 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article.

5. (e)

   1. (1) On or before March 1 each year, the Office of Social Equity shall produce and make publicly available a report on how the funds in the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund under § 1-322 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article were allocated during the immediately preceding calendar year.
   2. (2) The report shall also be submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with § 2-1257 of this article.
   3. (3) The Office may request information from political subdivisions and entities receiving distributions from the Fund to assist with the completion of the report.

6. (f)

   1. (1) On or before November 1 every 2 years, beginning in 2024, the Office of Social Equity shall solicit public input on the uses of the funds in the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund under § 1-322 of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Article.
   2. (2) On or before December 15 every 2 years, beginning in 2024, the Office of Social Equity shall publish a review of the input received under paragraph (1) of this subsection on a publicly accessible part of the Office's website.
   3. (3) The Office shall include in the review information on how the funds received from the Fund were spent during the immediately preceding 2 calendar years.

Added as Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis § 1-309.1 by Acts 2023, c. 254, § 5, eff. May 3, 2023; Acts 2023, c. 255, § 5, eff. May 3, 2023. Amended by Acts 2024, c. 241, § 1, eff. April 25, 2024; Acts 2025, c. 195, § 1, eff. June 1, 2025. Renumbered as State Government § 9-4108 by Acts 2025, c. 605, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025. Amended by Acts 2025, c. 605, § 4, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.