Equitable Opportunities Now
Well-funded multistate operators (MSOs) and their lobbyists filed EIGHT bills to seize greater control of Massachusetts’ cannabis industry.
But there’s good news: EON and our legislative champions have a bold legislative agenda to empower equity operators and strengthen the entire industry — without letting MSOs undermine fairness and competition.
Following up on a previous call for an investigation into alleged license cap violations, EON and members of our Mass. Cannabis Equity Council sent the following letter urging the CCC to improve ownership data transparency & tip line and urge the Legislature to protect competition. Dear Acting Chair Stebbins and Commissioners Camargo, Concepcion, and Roy: […]
More 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.
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 more 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.
Please 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!
Following an outcry from cannabis equity owners and advocates, the House elected not to adopt Amendment 10 to H. 4789, the economic development bill under consideration.
In response, Equitable Opportunities Now Policy Co-Chair Kevin Gilnack issued the following statement…
Join 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!
“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.”