Ominique Garner posed a question to the Cannabis Control Commission: What does priority mean?

For the last month, it’s a question that has surrounded the agency’s meetings, as some economic empowerment applicants started to demand answers about why it was taking so long to receive a provisional license.

“If black and brown people are not moving forward and [economic empowerment applicants] are not moving forward then we really need to pause and reevaluate the system," Garner said during an applicant forum, admitting with a shaky voice that she was nervous to talk in front of the commission. “We really need support. Municipalities have too much control and we don’t really have any support from you guys when we’re dealing with these municipalities.

“If you guys could come and sit and talk to us individual EE businesses and support us as we’re trying to deal with these municipalities that would be so helpful," she added.

It’s suggestions like Garner’s that the commission sought out with Thursday’s forum. The forum was scheduled as a result of meeting interruptions by Leah Daniels, who is trying to open the retail store, Alchemy League, in Holyoke. Daniels and other applicants demanded more transparency from the commission and highlighted delays and some confusion about their status in the application process during the disruptions.

The economic empowerment program was created to offer prioritized review and licensing for applicants in communities disproportionately impacted by high rates of incarceration and arrests for marijuana offenses. There’s also the social equity program, for applicants who represent communities of disproportionate impact by the war on drugs, which offers training and technical assistance from the commission.

More than 60 people signed up ahead of time to speak at Thursday’s forum. Because of the large volume, Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman told applicants they’d only have three minutes to speak instead of five. Some applicants were visibly frustrated with the limit, but the commission encouraged everyone in the room to email any comments that did not make it into the discussion.

When it was Morriss Partee’s turn, he stood in front of the commission with a sign: 6 months, 15 days.

That’s how long it’s been since the commission has reviewed new social equity applications.

“Unfortunately, I found out later in December that the commission had entirely stopped reviewing new social equity applicants 6 months ago,” said Partee, a social equity applicant. “You promised expedited review but how can you get expedited review if the application is not even reviewed.”

“I think we heard the pain that people are feeling,” said Hoffman right before adjourning the meeting, adding that this conversation was not a one-time thing.

The meeting indicated that some applicants were not aware that there was a precertification option. After approving home delivery and social consumption licenses -- which are only available to economic empowerment and social equity applicants for the first two years -- the commission offered a precertification which would give the applicant a background check and a chance to be vetted by the commission before they go to a city or town for a host community agreement.

“I feel like once I was vetted and approved as an economic empowerment applicant that’s all the qualifications that were needed,” said Enid Pope.

Pope knew about the precertification but said she did not receive a definitive notification about the outcome of that initiative.

A number of applicants said when they provided more information at the request of the commission, it took a month to hear back. Applicants also said their applications were reviewed by different staff members of the Cannabis Control Commission through the process, creating a discontinuity in the process.

Caroline Pineau of Haverhill Stem told the commission that she had a “fairly straightforward” question about her economic empowerment application but that she was not able to connect by phone with a live person. She asked if the commission could designate a staffer to handle questions from economic empowerment applicants.

Several applicants told the board that their bank accounts are being sucked dry as they retain property while their applications remain in the review process. Another issue among applicants was the prioritization of registered marijuana dispensaries, or RMDs.

Averyl Andrade of Between The Rows LLC told the commission she believes priority should only be given to established medical facilities that are currently serving patients.

Andrade offered a suggestion: immediately implement a one-to-one ratio of prioritized applicants to general applicants. She said the commission should establish agents who can review prioritized and economic empowerment applications and meet with applicants face-to-face.

"We are not just numbers on papers. We are real, actual people,” she said.

The location of cannabis meetings is another issue, said Andrade, noting that many of the communities that were deemed disproportionately affected by the war on drugs are south of Boston.

“Many people on the south coast and Cape cannot make it all the way out to Boston and Worcester,” she said. "We need help and we need to be heard.”

In between the criticisms and suggestions, there were applicants who thanked the commission for its work.

Moving forward, the commission plans to create a frequently asked questions document. The commission will also structure some roundtable conversations on specific topics to give applicants more information.

The commission will also go through a regulatory round next month, Hoffman said. One issue in that round will be to go over what the commission can do through regulations and process changes to address issues brought up during the forum.

“The input we got from this meeting today is incredibly important,” Hoffman said following the forum. “We’ve heard these issues, we’ve talked to people. I think the thing that was different about today is we got far more tangible suggestions ... so many people were focused on solutions rather than just talking about the problems.”

Hoffman said the commission needs to contemplate process changes, especially around communication.

Already, the commission has taken some steps, including fee waivers for economic empowerment applicants, precertification for social consumption and delivery, more visibility for applicants on the status of their application and adding three additional team members to the licensing staff to try and build up its operation.