EON led the successful legislative campaign to create the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund, reform host community agreements, and encourage municipal equity with the passage of Ch. 180 at the end of 2022.
Following that campaign, EON conducted several surveys of business owners, applicants, community leaders, and advocates to help craft a new legislative agenda for the 2023-2024 with partners in the Legislature.
2023-2024 Legislative Agenda
- Equitably reinvesting cannabis revenue in communities harmed by the war on drugs
- S. 56 An Act relative to reinvestment of cannabis revenue sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda
- S. 55 An Act relative to equitable allocation of cannabis revenue sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda
- S.57 An Act to encourage equitable cannabis business ownership sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda
- Creating career pathways for justice-involved individuals
- S.52 An Act to Create Cannabis Career Pathways for Justice-Involved Individuals sponsored by Sen. Pat Jehlen
- H.123 An Act to Create Cannabis Career Pathways to Incarcerated Individuals sponsored by Rep. Chynah Tyler
- Removing barriers to equitable participation in the cannabis industry
- H. 124 An Act to remove HCA real estate barriers to equitable participation in the cannabis industry sponsored by Rep. Chynah Tyler
- H. 117 An Act relative to vertical integration of medical marijuana businesses sponsored by Rep. David Rogers
- Promoting cannabis equity businesses
- S.53 An Act to Support Cannabis Equity Businesses sponsored by Sen. Jason Lewis
- Improving access to expungement
- H.1790 An Act ensuring equitable access to cannabis related expungement sponsored by Rep. Chynah Tyler
- H.1787 An Act Automatically Sealing Cannabis Records and Promoting Uniform Digital Record Keeping sponsored by Reps. Chynah Tyler and Samantha Montaño
Read our latest legislative news…
- Mass. Cannabis Equity Leaders Call for Investigation into Alleged License Cap ViolationsMore than a dozen cultivation, manufacturing, and dispensary owners, along with BECMA and EON, are raising concerns about repeated reports that owners of Ascend Wellness — a large, multistate operator founded and headquartered in Massachusetts — have violated the Commonwealth’s ownership limits.
- TODAY: Vote in MA’s State Primary Election!Today is Election Day in Massachusetts, and polls are open until 8 PM!
- Cannabis equity end-of-session priorities: Expand medical access & equity and reject changes to license caps & CCC receivershipEquitable Opportunities Now submitted the following letter to Massachusetts legislators expressing our deep appreciation for their support, highlighting widely-supported bills, opposing changes to license caps, and opposing putting the Cannabis Control Commission into receivership…
- YOU DID IT! Help build on our progress for cannabis equity…Last week, MSO lobbyists and a few politically connected operators tried to change the rules so that the biggest, most profitable companies could get even ore of the Commonwealth’s cannabis industry. MSO lobbyists are no match for the power of your voice. Thanks to supporters like you who spoke up to protect competition and equity in the Massachusetts cannabis industry, the proposal was defeated — for now.
- Speak out NOW: Ask your electeds to protect cannabis equity from MSO market consolidationPlease tell your legislators and Gov. Healey to oppose any effort to rush a major change in cannabis industry rules through at the end of session without even having a hearing!
- SIGN ON: Add your name to our letter urging Senators to protect cannabis equity businessesJoin us in telling State Senators to oppose any effort to rush a major change in cannabis industry rules through at the end of session without even having a hearing!
- ALERT: Email Your State Rep ASAP to protect equity businesses from MSO market consolidationThere is an effort playing out TODAY in Massachusetts to weaken one of the strongest protections for cannabis equity businesses in the Commonwealth — potentially devaluing their licenses and starting a race to the bottom for the benefit of MSOs and a handful of operators. The amendment could be debated today or tomorrow, so please use the instructions below to email your State Representative ASAP — then follow up with a call!
- Cannabis equity businesses and Equitable Opportunities Now team up to oppose license cap changes & address industry challenges“The Commonwealth’s license cap is vital to protecting a competitive market and our legally mandated mission to foster equitable participation in this new market,” said EON Policy Co-Chair and MCEC founding member Armani White, who owns provisionally licensed Firehouse. “With lobbyists and lawyers for large multistate operators working with a handful of business leaders to undermine small business protections, it’s vital for cannabis equity businesses to have a voice in the policymaking process.”
- Ask your Legislators to support EON funding in the FY25 budget!A Conference Committee is currently negotiating differences between the House and Senate budgets right now, and YOUR legislators need to hear from you! Use this form to ask your State Representative and State Senator to urge the Conference Committee to include EON’s funding in the FY25 budget.
- Ask your Rep. to support cannabis equity in MA’s budgetPlease take a few minutes right now to ask your State Representative to invest in creating equitable economic opportunity for communities harmed by the war on drugs. Here’s how:
- EON applauds CCC for Model HCA public comment period, advancing key deliverables, & increasing transparency on Ch. 180 implementation processEON applauds Acting Chair Ava Concepcion, her fellow Commissioners, Director of Licensing Kyle Potvin, Esq., and the CCC staff for providing a two-week public comment period for the Model HCA that elicited 19-20 public comments that generated approximately 90 potential changes — and for advancing these key deliverables.
- Cannabis Equity Fund Grant Applications Due Before Midnight TONIGHTAs a reminder, the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) is accepting applications for the Immediate Needs Grant Program from cannabis social equity businesses that have at least a provisional license from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) until 11:59 PM TONIGHT (Thurs. 2/15).
- Acting Chair Concepcion, Asst. Secretary Vega and other leaders to speak at Celebration of Equity ChampionsThird-annual fundraising reception will honor contributions to Massachusetts’ historic cannabis equity policies at licensed cannabis equity business New Dia Fenway
- Passage of FY23 closeout supplemental budget advances Cannabis Social Equity FundYesterday, the Legislature passed, and Gov. Maura Healey signed, the closeout FY23 supplemental budget that will unlock millions of dollars in grants and loans to cannabis equity businesses. This is an important step toward creating economic opportunity for communities harmed by the war on drugs, as envisioned by voters when they passed Question 4.
- Advocates applaud progress on cannabis equity fund in supplemental budget, urge quick passage“Language in this bill will unlock millions of dollars to be reinvested back into communities that have been torn apart by over-policing and the war on drugs — and it couldn’t come a minute too soon. The loans and grants this program will provide can help save businesses and jobs before the holidays, but only if all legislators put the needs of the Commonwealth’s residents first by quickly passing this bill in an informal session.”