The state of Massachusetts is rolling out a new “social equity” program to help certain individuals navigate the legal cannabis industry.
Cannabis for adult (or “recreational”) use is a booming industry. It is legal in nine states and the District of Columbia, while more, including New Jersey and New York, may follow.
Equity programs already exist in California, but the one in Massachusetts would be the first in the nation to be applied statewide.
The idea is to provide assistance to people who have been disproportionately affected by the government’s long-waged “war on drugs.”
To be eligible for the Massachusetts program, a person must either have a past drug conviction or be the spouse or child of a person with a drug conviction, who has lived in the state for the last year; or they must have lived in a community deemed an “area of disproportionate impact” for at least five years and earn below 400% of the federal poverty level.
Eligible applicants will receive mentoring, technical assistance, and skills training to help them enter the cannabis industry with ease.