An equity permit program in Oakland offers marijuana dispensary permits to longtime residents of areas of the city who were most impacted by the drug war or were convicted of cannabis-related crimes before marijuana legalization.

The criteria for eligibility include a cannabis conviction in the last 22 years or 10-year residency in a neighborhood with disproportionate cannabis arrests; and an income at 80% or less than the city’s average. Brittany Moore and Alphonso T. Blunt Jr. just opened the first equity marijuana dispensary in Oakland.

Blunt is a lifetime Oakland resident and Castlemont High School graduate and has worked for Alameda County for 13 years. His roots in Oakland run deep; he has built long-standing relationships in the community. Incidentally, he has been working to open his own dispensary since 1999.

His partner Moore has several years of operational experience as the general manager of cannabis dispensaries in Colorado and California. Moore is a member of several community organizations working to create participation and economic empowerment for the cannabis businesses that include the Hood Incubator, Minority Cannabis Business Association, NORML, and Women Grow.