The Arizona Department of Health Services will hold a drawing next month for the 26 adult-use marijuana establishment licenses available as part of the social equity ownership program.
The agency received more than 1,500 applications and recipients will be selected through a computerized random drawing system widely used for state lottery and raffle drawings.
The program is part of Proposition 207, which voters approved in 2020 and legalized recreational marijuana.
The social equity program is intended to promote ownership and operation of licensed marijuana establishments by people from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws.
The license recipients will be required to obtain approval to operate before opening their retail location.
The digital random drawing will take place Friday, April 8 at 1 p.m.