The Cannabis Control Commission Wants Your Feedback on “Identifying Disproportionately Impacted Areas by Drug Prohibition in Massachusetts”

Speak in person at agency headquarters on Nov. 6 or email comments by Nov. 12 

The Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) is hosting a Public Listening Session in Worcester this Thursday, Nov. 6, to accept feedback on the agency’s existing Areas of Disproportionate Impact (ADIs) and changes considered by the 2021 research report, Identifying Disproportionately Impacted Areas by Drug Prohibition in Massachusetts, completed in partnership with the UMass Donahue Institute.

Note: Thursday’s schedule has been updated to incorporate a standard public meeting starting at 10 a.m. for Commissioners and staff to continue reviewing the proposed regulations for Social Consumption Establishments. The ADI Public Listening Session will begin immediately after, starting at 3 p.m.

Currently the Commission has designated 30 communities in Massachusetts as ADIs, or geographic areas that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. ADI benefits may include: 

• As part of the Commission’s equity mandate, every applicant seeking Marijuana Establishment or Medical Marijuana Treatment Center licensure in the Commonwealth is required to submit a plan for how it will positively impact communities such as ADIs that have been adversely affected by the War on Drugs; and  
• ADI residents may be eligible for the Commission’s equity programs, which grants access to exclusive license types and consideration for the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development, among other opportunities. 

The 2021 ADI study and related questions and answers are available via the Reports section of the Commission’s public documents webpage. Commissioners are especially seeking public input regarding communities identified within “Tier 2” as well as the census tracts identified across Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, and Cambridge, and whether the Commission’s current designations should be updated. 

Specific topics for feedback may include: 

• Accuracy and relevance of the ADI designations; 
• Local impacts otherwise not reflected in the report; and  
• Recommendations for updates or clarifications. 

The 2021 report builds off previous, external research completed by Dr. Jon B. Gettman in 2017 that resulted in 29 Commission-approved ADIs across Massachusetts, including census tracts within Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Lowell. In November 2022, Commissioners also unanimously added the City of Lawrence and Worcester census tract 7320.01 to its ADI list.  

To give testimony in person at the agency’s Union Station headquarters in Worcester on Nov. 6, stakeholders are encouraged to sign-up in advance. The Commission will also review written comments submitted to Commission@CCCMass.com with the subject line “Identifying Disproportionately Impacted Areas” no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Any materials sent to the Commission may be subject to disclosure in response to a public records request pursuant to the Public Records laws, G.L. c.4 §7 cl. 26 and G.L. c.66 §10. 

All ADI feedback will be shared with the Commissioners to inform policy deliberations. For more information, review recent Commissioner discussions of the ADI list (linked below) or contact the Commission by phone (774-415-0200) or email (Commission@CCCMass.com).

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