US (DE): More than one-third of Delaware licenses will go to people who have cannabis convictions

Kwadzo Watson and Matthew Rall have been busted for cannabis in the past, but now they're looking to start growing and selling cannabis legally.

Longshoreman Anthony Fairley also is mulling whether to get into the cannabis business. Fairley has a clean record but lives in a section of Wilmington where weed arrests have been rampant.

All three men could be eligible to get so-called social equity licenses that will be issued later this year as Delaware begins launching its legal cannabis industry. Personal-use quantities of weed have been legal for people 21 and older since April 2023, and since then state officials have been working to create a regulated cultivation, manufacturing, testing and retail market.

Of the 125 licenses that the year-old Office of the Marijuana Commissioner can issue, 47 are reserved for qualified social equity applicants. The cost to apply for a social equity license is $1,000, compared to $5,000 for an open license. Those who do get a social equity license also will pay less in annual fees.