Three Arkansas residents have brought a federal racketeering lawsuit against four licensed medical cannabis companies operating in the state. The allegation: Those companies conspired to inflate THC levels on the labels of products sold to patients.

The companies in question are Bold, Osage Cultivation, Natural State Medicinal and, primarily, Steep Hill Arkansas (and its parent company Steep Hill Inc.).

The plaintiffs—Don Plumlee, Jakie Hanan and Pete Edwards—noticed over time “that some marijuana was more potent than others, despite being labeled as having similar amounts of THC,” according to the lawsuit, which was first reported by Law360. They independently tested product purchased at licensed dispensaries and found that THC levels were inflated by an average of 25%.

Read the full complaint below.

The RICO elements of this lawsuit come into play when the plaintiffs allege that the growers worked in concert with Steep Hill Arkansas to generate labels with higher THC results.

“Defendants used the telephone, email, or other communication facilities to take steps in furtherance of their efforts to unlawfully sell marijuana that had been mislabeled hundreds of times,” the lawsuit alleges. “The RICO defendants together formed an open ended association-in-fact enterprise for the purpose of cultivating marijuana in Arkansas and selling it to dispensaries in Arkansas for purchase by the plaintiff. To that end, they pooled their resources, knowledge, skills, and labor to achieve through the enterprise efficiencies in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana that none of them could have achieved individually.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced July 18 that the state will provide $5 million in grants to public colleges to fund cannabis education.

The grant funding, given to SUNY and CUNY community colleges, will help them establish credential programs or courses that will ultimately boost employment in New York’s cannabis industry.

“New York’s new cannabis industry is creating exciting opportunities, and we will ensure that New Yorkers who want careers in this growing sector have the quality training they need to be successful,” Hochul said in a public statement. “Diversity and inclusion are what makes New York’s workforce a competitive, powerful asset, and we will continue to take concrete steps to help ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in the cannabis industry.”

The state awarded the grants on a competitive basis within the SUNY and CUNY systems, according to Hochul’s announcement, with multiple campuses partnering with one college that will assume the lead role.

The following three SUNY campuses will each receive $1 million in funding:

Name: Jorel Decker

Location: Lindsay, Okla.

Title: Owner, Ramshead Cannabis

One word to describe your cultivation style: Hydroponic

Indoor, outdoor, greenhouse or a combination: Indoor

Can you share a bit of your background and how you and your company got to the present day?

When I first decided to start growing in 2013, it was just to make some extra money at the time to pay my rent. I wanted to keep touring with my band, Hollywood Undead, but wasn't able to tour and pay rent. It was a weird time for the music industry. We signed a 350 deal, which completely crippled us financially. But when you're that broke and someone offers you lump sums of money, you don't care about the devil in the details. ... We had to work odd jobs in between tours. Music streaming wasn't popular or a thing yet. Physical sales were not selling anymore, so we weren’t seeing any revenue. I sold my car to make space in the garage, and I needed the money for my first grow setup. I went into a hydro store on Hollywood Boulevard that I was always passing by called Superior Hydroponics. I started asking questions and bought some grow tents and everything I needed for $7,000. I went all in with the car money.

LAS VEGAS – July 18, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – The Source+, an award-winning cannabis company with six dispensaries across Nevada and Northampton, Mass., has announced that industry veteran Irene Villanueva will provide leadership as its new director of grow for the company’s cultivation and production facilities in Nevada. The Source+ has also opened a new 28,420-square-foot processing facility in Las Vegas to accommodate the company’s growth.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Irene as our new director of grow,” said Steve Haffer, CEO of The Source+. “Through her cultivation expertise, expansion of our team and grow, plus the opening of our new processing facility, we are confident that she will continue our mission of providing top-quality products at a value price point for our customers.”

Prior to joining The Source+ as its post-harvest director in 2021, Villanueva served as the general manager for Las Vegas Cannabis, where she garnered experience curing flower, in quality control compliance as the company’s order processing supervisor and cultivation technician. A graduate of Crafton Hills College, Villanueva is now leading a team of nearly 50 cultivation and production employees and intends to increase cultivation production while maintaining The Source+’s high-quality standards, expanding upon the award-winning products and bringing new strains to market.

“I am elated to join The Source+'s incredible grow team as the new director, to lead the staff in providing great product diversity and healthier options for consumers," said Villanueva. “At The Source+, we put an emphasis on cultivating premium flower at an accessible price point and with more room at our grow facility, I look forward to building up our wholesale and retail product selections."

The Source+’s new processing facility encompasses all product production for CAMP, 8|Fold and ONEderful product lines, as well as distribution for The Source+’s retail locations in Nevada. To learn more about The Source+ or to find a retail location in Nevada, visit thesourcenv.com.

NEUMÜNSTER, Germany, July 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRESS RELEASE -- Tilray Brands, Inc., a global cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company inspiring and empowering the worldwide community to live their very best life, announced that its medical cannabis division, Tilray Medical, launched a new cannabis education platform, WeCare-MedicalCannabis, dedicated to providing resources and educating healthcare practitioners and patients about medical cannabis.

WeCare-MedicalCannabis provides science and research-based cannabis content tailored to healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients to help them make informed decisions about medicinal cannabis and assists them along their path to discovering how medicinal cannabis can support daily wellness and health. Designed to serve as a one-stop, comprehensive resource on medical cannabis insights, WeCare-MedicalCannabis is now available in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Portugal.

Sascha Mielcarek, Managing Director, Tilray Europe, said, “As global pioneers in medical cannabis, we are aware of the lack of access to science-based, medical cannabis education. WeCare-MedicalCannabis was created to bridge that gap and help provide the needed resources to helping patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with the information they need to make informed decisions on medicinal cannabis. As cannabis legalization continues to expand across Europe, Tilray Medical is dedicated to help provide informed and trusted guidance for those interested in learning more about medical cannabis.”

Tilray Medical continues to work with leading patient associations and physician societies, providing value to those impacted by changes within the medical landscape, and who serve at the forefront of global health initiatives. By providing access to educational platforms such as WeCare-MedicalCannabis, Tilray Medical continues to open and expand its world of wellbeing.

For more information, please visit the company's global platforms at WeCare-MedicalCannabis Germany, WeCare-MedicalCannabis France, WeCare-MedicalCannabis UK, WeCare-MedicalCannabis Portugal.

Operating in the California cannabis industry is not for the faint of heart, but fortunately for Chris Ball, he has plenty of that.

Ball is owner and CEO of Ball Family Farms, a vertically integrated, Black-owned, indoor cannabis grow based in Los Angeles. Ball built his business from the ground up, transitioning from the traditional market to become of the first social equity licensees in LA. While Ball has established Ball Family Farms as a top brand in the California market, he and the company have also experienced a number of trials and tribulations along the way. Ball joined Cannabis Business Times to preview his upcoming speaking session at Cannabis Conference 2022, as well as what’s ahead for Ball Family Farms and the California cannabis industry.

Editor's note: Chris Ball will be speaking on the panel session “How to Launch a Cultivation Business” from 11:20 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at Cannabis Conference, taking place at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. In this session, experienced and successful cannabis business leaders will share essential considerations when mapping out your start-up, along with some of the key lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Zach Mentz: What’s new at Ball Family Farms and what are you excited about?

Chris Ball: We got robbed twice. That happened [at the end of May]. It happened within a two-week span. We got hit twice within a two-week time period. So, that wasn't fun, but it obviously made us stronger. They got away with close to $800,000 worth of product.

Thank God for insurance, for one, and for two, it let us know some holes that we had in our security system and when the security comes and the exchange of shifts. So, we've been able to tighten that up. We've been working with some different alarm companies and put in some extra security, but none of these alarm companies are as good as what you would get at an Amazon or at a Nike or somewhere like that. We're still kind of getting the short end of the stick when it comes to that stuff. So, that wasn't fun, but we're recovering.

At the California State Fair this year, attendees will find a new crop sitting alongside cheese, berries and heirloom tomatoes of vibrant hues: cannabis flower, also boasting its many vibrant hues. The fair hosts its first cannabis competition this year, with Cultivar Brands producing the highly visible event before the world’s largest legal marketplace. The California State Fair runs through July 31 in Sacramento.  

Winners were categorized within indoor, outdoor and mixed light environments, and from there, the competition broke down the different cannabis flower entries into various chemical constituents. Greenshock Farms, for instance, won the gold award for its outdoor ocimene-dominant cultivar, Passion Orange Guava. High Grade Farms won the gold award for its indoor caryophyllene-dominant cultivar, and Peanut Butter Cup. Esensia won the Best of California “Golden Bear” award in the caryophyllene category for its Lemon OG. 

Each entrant was tested by SC Labs, which produced a detailed chemometric report for the flower. (See an example below.)

SC Labs launched its terpene testing in 2013, according to co-founder Alec Dixon. Since then, the team has honed the process over hundreds of thousands of tests across California and Oregon.

“We've been doing a bunch of research into our data and sorting everything by terpene content and learning a lot about how cannabis is classified by potential oil content,” Dixon says. “We’re working to further separate things out from the historic indica-and-sativa conversation—to know more about the terpene-cannabinoid makeups possible within the plant.”

Entrants into the California State Fair competition provided their cannabis flower to the event producers, which was later slotted into specific categories by SC Labs’ testing data. In the future, however, Dixon says he hopes to see entrants identify which terpene or cannabinoid category they’d like to pursue upfront. This may have the effect of encouraging more specific terpene-based breeding plans. A grower may spend a season dialing in a pinene-dominant cultivar—not only for the prestige of the Golden Bears, but also for the subtly shifting demand trends in the California market, perhaps.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order July 14 to protect some employees’ off-duty cannabis use.

Under the order, state agencies that regulate professional licenses must now protect an individual’s right to use cannabis without workplace sanctions, according to a Westword report.

The order protects individuals who consume, possess, grow or process cannabis in accordance with Colorado law from professional sanctions or professional license revocation, the news outlet reported, including those who participate in cannabis-related activities in other states that would also be legal in Colorado.

Polis’ order directs the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and the Department of Revenue (DOR) not to cooperate with out-of-state investigations “related to disciplinary action against a professional license, certification, or credential for marijuana-related actions” that are lawful in the state, Westword reported.

The departments, which issue professional licenses for health care, trade practices, cosmetology, engineering, real estate and more, now have 90 days to establish and implement new policies to adhere to Polis’ order, according to the news outlet.

ClemsonUniversity College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences (CAFLS) has partnered with Curio Wellness , a Maryland-based medical cannabis company, to advance research on cannabistissue culture science for the medical cannabis industry.

According to a press release, starting this August, CAFLS and Curio will conduct atwo-year study using industrial hemp that will “aim to protect plants fromviral pathogens while improving production efficiency.”

Curio Wellness ChiefExecutive Officer, Michael Bronfein, said in the press release that thepartnership is an example of how Curio is “investing in the future of medicalcannabis for [its] patients and everyone in need of safe, effective andreliable health solutions.”

Jeff Adelberg, a professor ofhorticulture in Clemson’s Plant and EnvironmentalSciences Department, Experiment Station, and a leader in the study, said theproject is “unique,” as “both organizations will conduct research using ourindividual plant collections.

“Research conducted atClemson will be shared with Curio for use on their plants in Maryland,”Adelberg said. “This collaboration creates an opportunity for researchers fromboth institutions to use their knowledge to benefit people.”

Matt Taylor, applied sciencedirector at Curio Wellness, said the partnership will allow Curio to increaseits knowledge base of cannabis tissue culture, which, in turn, will enable thecompany “to continue cultivating high quality, plant-based medicine forpatients in Maryland and beyond.”

The New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved regulations last week that will ultimately govern the state’s forthcoming adult-use sales.

Regulators formally adopted a licensing program July 14 that was initially proposed earlier this year to ensure that the first round of dispensary licenses go to applicants with past cannabis-related convictions, according to the New York Daily News.

RELATED: New York Will Issue First Adult-Use Dispensary Licenses to Applicants with Cannabis-Related Convictions

The regulations mandate that applicants for the first set of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses must provide proof that they or a family member have been convicted of a cannabis-related offense prior to New York legalizing adult-use last year, the news outlet reported.

These applicants must also have a minimum of two years’ experience in owning a profitable business, the Daily News reported.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act for the seventh time last week, this time as an amendment to the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo., attached the SAFE Banking Act to the NDAA earlier this month, and lawmakers approved the NDAA with the SAFE Banking amendment July 14, according to Financial Regulation News.

RELATED: UPDATE: Rep. Perlmutter Makes Final Push on SAFE Banking

“Today marks the *7th time* the #SAFEBankingAct has passed the U.S. House,” Perlmutter, the SAFE Banking Act’s original sponsor, said in a tweet on Thursday. “I’m calling on the Senate to take action for the safety of our communities and success of Veteran- and minority-owned businesses across the country. It’s time to get this done.”

The SAFE Banking Act, which would prohibit federal regulators from taking punitive measures against financial institutions that provide services to state-legal cannabis businesses, cleared the U.S. House six times prior to last week’s passage, including twice as a standalone bill, but has stalled each time in the Senate.

Flora Growth named Elshad Garayev as its CFO and elected Brandon Konigsberg to its board of directors.

Garayev joins the company with more than 25 years of experience in finance, specifically in developing and implementing accounting and reporting policies and finance teams, according to a company release. He has served in a range of financial leadership roles at companies including Amazon, Boeing BP and RPK Capital, according to the release.

“I am very excited to join Flora and to becomes its chief financial officer,” Garayev said. “As one of the largest cultivators licensed by the federal government of Colombia, their robust portfolio of brands and the future of research in the space, Flora presents a truly amazing opportunity to lead the global cannabis supply chain. Through financial discipline, transparency and industry-leading reporting practices, I believe Flora will lead the way for the next generation of cannabis companies.”

In his new role, Garayev will be responsible for financial control and governance, cash management, and will assist in executing the company’s strategy to drive profitable growth while enhancing shareholder value, according to the release.

Garayev will officially assume the role of CFO following the company’s filing of its mid-year financial results. Until then, he will serve as vice president of finance while current CFO Lee Leiderman transitions into an advisory role.

LONDON, England, July 18, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Curaleaf International, a vertically integrated cannabis company in Europe, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Miles Worne as president, effective July 11, 2022. Antonio Costanzo, the company's former CEO, will remain with the company in a consultancy capacity, with his role transitioning to focus on M&A and Regulatory Affairs. Worne's appointment as president is part of the company's long-term strategy to drive growth as the European cannabis market opens up to adult-use, as well to ensure continued expansion in the medical cannabis market. The appointment of a president reflects Curaleaf's commitment to capitalizing on the ever-changing landscape and opportunities within the international cannabis marketplace.

"It has been an honor to have co-founded and served as CEO of Curaleaf International since the company's inception in 2018," Costanzo said. "In that short time, we have built [one of] Europe's largest vertically integrated cannabis compan[ies], culminating in the acquisition by Curaleaf Holdings in 2021. I look forward to working with Miles and the wider team as we take the company forward to its next stage of development and growth. The market is evolving considerably with significant opportunities across Europe, and I look forward to applying my significant regulatory and M&A experience to help drive the company forward as the global industry leader."

Miles Worne has significant experience in building consumer brands and joins Curaleaf International from Glanbia plc, where he was European managing director of Glanbia Performance Nutrition, the global leader in sports nutrition and weight management. During the past four years at Glanbia, Worne grew brands such as Slimfast, Body & Fit, Optimum Nutrition and Amazing Grass across European markets.

"I am delighted to join [one of] Europe's largest vertically integrated cannabis compan[ies], which already has a market-leading medical cannabis offering," Worne said. "I believe Curaleaf International is ideally positioned to leverage the growing European recreational opportunity and will utilize my significant experience of building strong consumer brands in Europe to help take advantage of the growing momentum in the cannabis industry. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at Curaleaf International in this incredibly exciting period for cannabis in Europe."

Matt Darin, CEO of Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., added, "I would like to welcome Miles Worne as President of Curaleaf International. Miles's expertise in building strong household name global consumer brands will be invaluable as the European cannabis opportunity continues to evolve. We are extremely excited by the growing opportunity for cannabis across Europe and beyond, and are bullishly optimistic for the next few years as cultural and government acceptance grows. I would also like to thank Antonio Costanzo for what he has achieved as CEO of Curaleaf International in building [one of] Europe's largest vertically integrated cannabis compan[ies]. Antonio's experience in M&A and regulatory savvy will be invaluable to Curaleaf International as we capitalize on the growing European opportunity."

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted against a cannabis business tax measure July 12, which could have allowed more cannabis dispensaries to open in unincorporated areas in Sacramento County, California.

Currently, Sacramento and Isleton are the only cities within the county that permit cannabis dispensaries. 

RELATED: Sacramento Will Now Allow Dispensary Business Ownership Transfers

The proposal needed four yes votes from the five board members to be put before voters in the November election, but only three voted yes–with Supervisors Don Nottoli and Sue Frost declining, Capradio reported.

 “It’s not that I’m opposed to a vote,” Frost said. “It’s that I’m opposed to a vote where two-thirds of the constituents are making a decision for those that are singled out as impacted by that vote.”

Supervisors Phil Serna, Patrick Kennedy and Rich Desmond all voted to put the measure before voters in November, arguing that it would boost the county’s budget, help combat the illicit market and allow the county to compete with the city of Sacramento’s cannabis tax revenue, Capradio reported.

EWING, New Jersey, July 14, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Orcosa Inc., a clinical-stage life sciences company, announced the appointment of Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Ph.D., former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as senior advisor. In his role, Eschenbach will provide strategic counsel on regulatory and public affairs, clinical trial development, and other corporate matters.

“We are honored and privileged to have Dr. von Eschenbach join our team as senior advisor,” said Bryan Ridall, president of Orcosa. “His commitment to improving public health, and his uniquely complete understanding of patients’ needs, and the dynamics of biopharmaceutical research and development are an invaluable complement to our leadership team. We are grateful for his support as we continue to execute on our long-term strategy.”

"As a physician and former FDA Commissioner, I was immediately impressed with Orcosa’s innovative drug delivery platform and thoughtful approach to clinical development and collaboration," Eschenbach said. "The company’s [Rapid Infusion Technology Platform] RITe platform is already demonstrating how it has incredible potential to improve patient outcomes across a range of therapeutic areas—including most critically, in pain management to help reduce opioid usage. I am excited to be part of the Orcosa team, particularly at such a pivotal time in the company’s growth story.”

Eschenbach is widely recognized as a leading physician, surgeon, oncologist, and executive and served as commissioner of the FDA from 2006 to 2009 after being appointed acting commissioner in 2005. In that role, he developed and oversaw the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative, which aimed at improving the regulatory pathway for drugs and medical devices. Eschenbach joined FDA after serving for four years as director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA.

Eschenbach earned a B.S. from St. Joseph’s University and his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. After completing a residency in urologic surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, he was an instructor in urology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed a Fellowship in Urologic Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The Parent Company (TPCO) agreed to a distribution partnership with Nabis to expand its brand presence in California.

Beginning this month, Nabis will distribute all TPCO products to licensed retailers across The Golden State. The partnership will increase efficiencies for both companies as well as retailers, by offering a streamlined transactional process and two-day shipping, according to a press release from Nabis.

RELATED: The Parent Company, Curio Wellness Partner in Maryland

“We are excited to be the exclusive wholesaling partner for The Parent Company,” said Vince Ning, co-CEO and co-founder of Nabis. “Their world-class team’s dedication to technology as a way to lower costs, and devotion to bringing the best-quality products to market, mirrors Nabis’ long-term investments in our innovative platform that connects brands with retailers, giving consumers better access to legal cannabis products.”

TPCO previously handled its own distribution, according to the release, but will now rely on a strategic partner in Nabis to increase efficiencies and brand awareness.

Cheboygan, Mich. (June 30, 2022) – PRESS RELEASE – PharmaCann Inc., one of the nation’s largest privately held, vertically integrated cannabis companies, has announced the grand opening of its Cheboygan, Mich., LivWell Enlightened Health dispensary on Saturday, July 2, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. The dispensary is located at 123 E. State St. and is LivWell’s first adult-use dispensary in Michigan. Cheboygan is located in the heart of northern Michigan on the scenic Straits of Mackinac, where the Cheboygan River and Lake Huron meet.

On the eve of the adult-use cannabis launch back in July 2017, Nevada State Sen. Tick Segerblom promised the world that Las Vegas would become a legal marijuana paradise unlike anything ever seen before. He called it “Amsterdam on Steroids,” an ambitious yet vaguely realistic goal for a city that specializes in around-the-clock accommodations replete with glitz, glamour and extravagance.

“Las Vegas will be the global capital of legal cannabis,” Segerblom declared at an event the night before adult-use sales officially launched. “People will come from everywhere to enjoy our industry.”

Five years later, Sin City is home to the globe’s two largest dispensaries, the biggest and priciest products—including a 1.5-ounce weed cigar that sold for $11,000 and a 24-foot glass bong on display at a local cannabis museum—and countless drive-thrus that let people purchase the plant like fast food. Over a half-dozen Native American tribes across Nevada have opened dispensaries of their own, and cannabis taxes have contributed some $250 million to the state’s public schools.

Yet the road at times has been anything but smooth sailing. And there’s still a final, all-important step to go.

Still Waiting for Lounges

Without cannabis consumption lounges, the millions of tourists that fill hotels on the Vegas Strip and downtown Sin City are still stuck using the plant against the law—even when they buy it legally.

“We’ve been waiting for more than three years to open consumption lounges,” explained Frank Hawkins, a former Las Vegas City Councilman and owner of Nevada Wellness Center dispensary. “But we’ve been stymied every time by the gaming industry.”

Detroit City Council opened the city’s adult-use cannabis business application process for five license types in April, but aspiring retailers were not among those eligible to apply.

That will soon change after councilmembers unanimously voted July 12 to open the application process for adult-use cannabis dispensaries, consumption lounges and microbusinesses, according to a local Click On Detroit report.

The Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship will accept applications for these license types from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, the news outlet reported.

Applicants must first apply and obtain certification through Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency, according to Click On Detroit, and then they can apply with the city, which will process applications in four 30-day phases.

Detroit will ultimately license 20 retailers (all social equity applicants), 10 consumption lounges (five social equity and five non-social equity applicants) and five microbusinesses (all social equity applicants).

Connecticut’s regulators have approved their first batch of adult-use cannabis licenses after the state’s Social Equity Council voted July 12 to greenlight 16 cultivation applications.

The licensees, selected from a pool of 41 applicants, meet the state’s social equity requirements, which include specifications on income and residency, as well as a rule that the business is at least 65% owned by the social equity applicant, according to a local WTNH report.

“Our goal was and is to affirm that social equity applicants are true owners of their businesses,” said Social Equity Council Chair Andrea Comer at the start of Tuesday’s virtual meeting, according to WTNH. “Promoting equity in the cannabis industry is our primary charge.”

The Social Equity Council was created by the Legislature in Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis law, which Gov. Ned Lamont signed last summer. The council is meant to oversee the rollout of the state’s adult-use industry to ensure it benefits those most adversely impacted by cannabis prohibition.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection received more than 37,000 applications in May and June from businesses looking to secure licenses for adult-use cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, packaging, transportation and retail, and 63% of those applicants self-identified as social equity applicants, according to The Connecticut Examiner.