Survey: What’s next for cannabis equity in Massachusetts?

While applicants in the adult use market can choose to seek cultivation, product manufacturing, retail, and other licenses, medical cannabis dispensaries must currently be vertically integrated businesses that cultivate, process, and retail their own marijuana and marijuana products for medical use. The vertical integration requirement in medical creates a substantial barrier to entry into that market due to the increased capital required. Click here to learn more about current license types from the CCC. 

Please indicate below how important you think it is to remove the vertical integration requirement for medical cannabis operators.

Please use this space to share your policy wish list to help inform our 2023-2024 legislative agenda!

Topics could include:

• Increasing social equity grant and loan funding
• Improving oversight of the grant and loan fund
• Enabling the CCC to make regulatory changes that support equity applicants and businesses
• Changing license types or requirements
• Improving the viability of social consumption
• Further improvements to the expungement process
• Additional changes to local licensing processes and incentives
• Research and testing
• Anything else you think will enhance equity in the cannabis industry

With Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz leaving her post as Senate Cannabis Policy Chair at the end of this session, we’d like your input on which senators you think could best fill her shoes. View the full list of senators here.

With the passage of an Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is poised to revisit the regulations for the Commonwealth’s medical and adult use cannabis industries.

Please use this space to share, in as much detail as possible, your feedback regarding:

• What aspects of the existing regulatory framework would you want to change, and how would you change them?
• What aspects of the existing regulatory framework would you want to keep, and why do you want to keep them?
• What do you consider the biggest risks and opportunities of the CCC’s new mandates related to municipal licensing and HCAs? What do you want to ensure is included or is left out of new regulations or the model HCA?
• What do you consider the biggest risks and opportunities regarding the forthcoming social consumption program and how can the CCC ensure it succeeds?
• What equity-related data should be available during CCC meetings and/or on their website?
• What changes are needed to the delivery program and exclusivity period?
• How can the Social Equity Program be improved?
• What else is on your CCC wish list?

The Governor, Attorney General, and Treasurer are currently recruiting a new Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board that will provide guidance and input to the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development as they create the new Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund to provide grants and low-interest loans to equity cannabis businesses.

Use this space to help guide our advocacy to the Advisory Board and EOHED to ensure the grant and loan program succeeds?

Please check all categories that apply.