There 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.
Massachusetts has strong license ownership limits to protect competition and prevent market consolidation, but Amendment 10 to the House economic development bill filed by Rep. Sam Montaño would enable MSOs to acquire up to 49% of four more licenses and open the floodgates to future increases in the ownership cap until the market is fully consolidated.
Equitable Opportunities Now and the new Massachusetts Cannabis Equity Council strongly oppose any changes to the ownership limits as they will destabilize and devalue the small equity businesses the Commonwealth should be supporting.
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!
The Mass. Cannabis Equity Council was formed by a grassroots team of 17 business owners harmed by the war on drugs, Equitable Opportunities Now, and the Black Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, Inc. to give Social Equity Program and Economic Empowerment applicant owners a voice in decisions that will drastically alter the market and harm their business and advise EON’s advocacy.
To learn more, check out our press release announcing the formation of the MCEC and our opposition to any license cap changes, and our more recent letter to House leaders in opposition to Amendment 10.
Here’s how to email your State Rep
- Look up your State Representative and click their profile to find their email and phone number.
- Look up and contact each Rep for where you live, work, have applications/licenses, and/or go to/send kids to school.
- Email your *State Representative* using the sample email below.
- Fill in all of the underlined sections
- Personalize the message with why this is important to you
- BCC kevin@masseon.com if you want to help us keep track of who’s getting contacted
- If you hear back, thank them and let us know what you hear
- Follow up with a call because this amendment could come up anytime TODAY or TOMORROW
- Forward this to your partners, friends, colleagues, workers, customers, and investors to urge them to protect MA’s cannabis equity businesses
Sample Email to Your State Reps
Subject: Please Reject Amendment 10 & Adopt #3, 480, 621, & 576 to protect equity businesses
Dear Rep. ___,
I [live, own a business, go to/send my kids to school] at [address] in your district. I am writing to express my deep concern and strong objection to Amendment #10 to H.4789 and to highlight amendments that I hope you and your colleagues will support.
A small number of cannabis operators are attempting to weaken the Commonwealth’s strong pro-competition, anti-monopoly protections in our cannabis industry. Amendment #10 filed by Rep. Montaño will make it harder to attract outside investment for equity businesses and open the door to market consolidation by the largest and most profitable companies.
I join the majority of cannabis social equity businesses in urging you to protect competition in the market and the Commonwealth’s very own efforts to foster full participation in the industry by rejecting Amendment 10.
To support consumers, research, and all industry participants, please adopt the following amendments:
– Amendment #3 by Rep. Tyler – Purchase Limits
– Amendment #480 by Rep. Soter – Streamlining Cannabis Agent Registration
– Amendment #621 by Rep. Rogers – Clarifying Retroactivity
– Amendment #576 by Rep. Hunt – Cannabis Research
Please learn more at https://masseon.com/eon-press-releases-media-advisory/press-release/cannabis-equity-business-owners-eon-oppose-license-cap-change-amendment-to-eco-dev-bill/
I’d appreciate if you would let me know if I can count on you to oppose Amendment 10 and support Amendments 3, 480, 621, and 576. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR DISTRICT ADDRESS]