Cannabis Control Commission Statement on H.174/S.72, An Act relative to social equity and host community agreements in the cannabis industry

WORCESTER—Through a spokesperson, the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) on Friday issued the below statement following the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy’s reporting out of H.174/S.72, An Act relative to social equity and host community agreements in the cannabis industry:

“The Commission is grateful to the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy for their work on this legislation and looks forward to reviewing it. For several years, we have been intentional about advocating for urgently needed changes to Massachusetts’ cannabis laws. Among them, Commissioners past and present have called for 1) the authority to regulate, review, and enforce host community agreements, along with clarification about what state law allows within those contracts; 2) a state-administered fund composed of public and private resources for equity businesses to receive low- or zero-interest loans or grants; and 3) a technical amendment to state law that will allow municipalities to adopt social consumption licensing. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with the House and Senate and following H.174/S.72 as it progresses.”

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References:

[1] Cannabis Control Commission, Report on Host Community Agreements and Marijuana Establishments, March 2019 < https://masscannabiscontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HCA-Report-FINAL_March2019_v2-1.pdf>.

[2] Cannabis Control Commission, Commission Letter to the Legislature Regarding Social Equity Funding, December 28, 2021 <https://masscannabiscontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Commission-Letter-to-the-Legislature-Regarding-Social-Equity-Funding.pdf>.

[3] Cannabis Control Commission, January 20, 2022 Public Meeting Material Packet (page 343), January 18, 2022 <https://masscannabiscontrol.com/document/public-meeting-material-packet-january-20-2022/>.