named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Chief Equity Office Reform Initiative
Pushes for structural reform by relocating the Chief Equity Officer from the Office of Cannabis Management to the Cannabis Control Board to ensure independent oversight and accountability.
Racial Equity in Licensing Initiative
Seeks to dismantle the racially bifurcated licensing system by demanding 50% of all license categories be awarded to social equity applicants and creating pathways to cultivation, processing, and distribution licenses.
Social Equity Advocacy Campaign
Advocates for policy changes to ensure equitable access to cannabis licenses, fair market entry for social equity applicants, and implementation of the nine social equity goals mandated by the MRTA.
activities · 4 groups
What they do
-
Criminal Justice Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Advocates for social and economic equity in New York's cannabis industryEngages in policy advocacy to advance equitable implementation of New York’s cannabis laws, including pushing for timely release of state funds, equitable license allocation, and reinvestment of tax revenue into impacted communities.
-
-
Civil Rights Advocacy & Litigation 1 activity
- Builds statewide coalition capacity for cannabis equity advocacyForms and sustains a coalition of individuals, community organizations, and business professionals to strengthen collective advocacy for cannabis social equity in New York.
-
-
Policy Advocacy & Research 1 activity
- Conducts research to inform cannabis social equity policyPerforms research on social equity programs in other states to develop and support evidence-based policy recommendations for New York’s cannabis regulatory framework.
-
-
Justice System Innovation & Inclusion Programs 1 activity
- Provides direct support to individuals most harmed by cannabis prohibitionOffers assistance to individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by past cannabis laws, including support for social equity retail dispensaries and conditional licensing for eligible applicants with prior cannabis-related arrests or small business experience.
-
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$76K
Contributions & grants$76K100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$80K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$49K
Grants paid out$0
balance sheet
Total assets$847
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$847
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +7.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 3
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reginald Fluellen PhD | CEO | 13 | $49K |
| Cheryl Tyrrell | Secretary | 1 | $5K |
| Michael -Mika'il- DeVeaux PhD | Chairman | 0 | $2K |
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Cannabis Advisory Board Partner — Works alongside the Cannabis Advisory Board to advocate for immediate funding of equity programs.
- Cannabis Control Board Government — Engaged in advocacy regarding the Board's approval of the Social and Economic Equity Plan and its licensing decisions.
- Cannabis Control Board Government — Engaged in meetings regarding cannabis equity policy and licensing implementation.
- Cannabis Control Board Government — Recommends policy actions and structural changes to the Cannabis Control Board.
- Cannabis Control Board Government — Submitted policy recommendations to the Cannabis Control Board on September 28, 2021.
- Cannabis Control Board Partner — Collaborates with and makes policy recommendations to the Cannabis Control Board regarding funding for social and economic equity applicants.
- Cannabis Control Board Partner — Recommends policy actions to the Cannabis Control Board to advance social equity in cannabis licensing.
- Department of Health Government — Coordinates with DOH to ensure cannabis prevention, education, and treatment services reach priority populations.
- Drug Policy Alliance Partner — Collaborates with and acknowledges the work of the Drug Policy Alliance in advancing cannabis social equity policy.
- Governor Hochul Government — Addresses policy recommendations directly to Governor Hochul regarding cannabis social equity implementation.
- Governor Hochul Government — Addresses policy recommendations directly to Governor Hochul.
- Governor of New York State Government — Submitted policy recommendations to the Governor regarding cannabis equity.
- New York State Education Department Government — Collaborates with NYSED to support school-based cannabis prevention and education programs.
- New York State Lottery Fund Government — Administrates cannabis tax revenue distribution to eligible school districts.
- Office of Addiction Services and Supports Government — Collaborates with OASAS to direct cannabis prevention, education, and treatment funding to communities most in need.
- Office of Cannabis Management Government — Addressed in advocacy efforts concerning policy decisions including early RO market entry and the structure of the licensing system.
- Office of Cannabis Management Government — Engaged in meetings regarding cannabis equity policy and licensing implementation.
- Office of Cannabis Management Government — Engages in public advocacy and critique regarding the Office of Cannabis Management's licensing decisions and equity outcomes.
- Office of Cannabis Management Government — Recommends policy and zoning reforms to the Office of Cannabis Management.
- Office of Cannabis Management Government — Works with OCM to direct cannabis tax revenue toward prevention, education, and treatment initiatives for underserved communities.
- Office of Cannabis Management Partner — Engages with the Office of Cannabis Management to recommend immediate release of funds for social and economic equity applicants.
- Office of Cannabis Management Partner — Recommends policy actions to the Office of Cannabis Management to advance social equity in cannabis regulation.
- Office of Mental Health Government — Partners with OMH in connecting communities most in need with cannabis-related behavioral health services.
- Senate and Assembly leadership Government — Recommends legislative appointments to the Cannabis Advisory Board through state legislative leadership.
- Senate and Assembly leadership Government — Urges legislative leaders to appoint representative members to the Cannabis Advisory Board.
- Teamsters Local Union 118 Partner — Jointly advocated with CSEC-NYS to delay multi-state operators' entry into New York’s adult-use cannabis market.
- cannabis advisory board Government — Administers the New York Community Grant Reinvestment Fund and provides grants to community-based organizations.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community and Leadership of the Most Harmedmethodology: most_harmed_leadershipBy centering leadership and decision-making in individuals and organizations from communities most impacted by the War on Drugs, we ensure that solutions are grounded in lived experience and community needs, because authentic representation produces more effective and legitimate policy outcomes.
- Equity-Weighted Licensing and Scoring Systemsmethodology: equity_weighted_scoringBy advocating for 50% equity allocations across all license types and bonus points in application scoring, we counter systemic disadvantages in wealth and education, because structural advantages must be corrected through intentional design in regulatory frameworks.
- First-Mover Advantage via Market Entry Delaysmethodology: market_entry_delay_for_equityBy delaying market entry for well-capitalized registered organizations, social equity applicants gain critical early access to high-demand markets, allowing them to establish customer loyalty and operational sustainability before facing intense competition, because timing and market conditions are decisive for small entrants in capital-intensive industries.
- Public Financing as a Shield Against Predatory Capitalmethodology: public_financing_for_equityBy securing public funding and deploying zero- and low-interest loans, we ensure that social equity entrepreneurs retain ownership and control, because private investment has systematically excluded marginalized founders and often extracts excessive equity through predatory terms.
- Restorative Justice Through Equitable Market Accessmethodology: restorative_justiceBy prioritizing individuals and communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition for early market entry, licensing advantages, and access to high-value segments of the supply chain, we enable generational wealth building and repair historical harms, because equitable economic inclusion is a form of restorative justice.