Massachusetts is the first state to implement a statewide equity policy within adult use cannabis law. The goal is to encourage individuals and communities disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs to transfer their skills to the legal market. The Cannabis Control Commission grants these economic empowerment applicants resources to start a business intended to ease the burden of barriers to entry.
The benefits that qualified equity applicants receive after obtaining priority review include management and recruitment training, accounting assistance, tax prediction and compliance, help with creating business plans, education on industry best practices, and assistance with raising funds and capital.
Denver, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas have all implemented recreational weed regulation with varying degrees of social equity in mind. The Massachusetts Commission is learning from already existing cannabis law in these states. That advantage of perspective has paved the way for the country’s most sweeping progressive cannabis policy yet.
