Include co-ops, farmers & local, small businesses in cannabis equity
The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
Per Massachusetts state law, Chapter 55 in the Acts of 2017, An Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana, the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) must “...promote and encourage full participation in the regulated marijuana industry by farmers.” The Craft Marijuana Cooperative license type was specifically created for local farmers, as one member of the cooperative or a farmer leasing their land to a cooperative must have filed a Schedule F in the last 5 years, showing that they are a working farm.
It has been well-documented that Craft Marijuana Co-op's have struggled to start up due to barriers in accessing capital as well as local bylaws that have either prevented farmers from growing marijuana on their land or have been so restrictive that small, local businesses are prevented from entering the cannabis industry.
Farm Bug Co-op believes that the he Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development should acknowledge these inequities and issue state grants to the business types that have struggled to get off of the ground in the Commonwealth. We feel that this is the intent of state law and will create a much more equitable cannabis industry.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
From:
[Your Name]
Hello Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development:
We petitioners are in agreement with Farm Bug Cooperative (Co-op) that state grants should be issued to co-ops, farmers and local, small businesses that have struggled to establish their cannabis businesses in the Commonwealth due to high financial barriers as well as restrictive local bylaws that have prevented many farmers from growing marijuana on their land.
We believe that, to create a more equitable cannabis industry, the inequities that have plagued local co-ops, farmers and small businesses need to be acknowledged in the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund. It is this office's directive to create a more equitable cannabis industry in Massachusetts. We feel that, by issuing grants to the most impacted business types, a more level playing field will be created for small, local businesses. These small, local businesses are competing with well-funded multi-state operators and multinational cannabis corporations and they should be given a fairer chance to compete.
By supporting more small, local businesses (including co-ops and farmers) financially, this Office will be directly addressing the largest inequities that exist in the industry around economic and social factors. It will also create an environment where the wealth created from the cannabis industry stays more locally.
Thank you in advance for hearing our thoughts on creating a more equitable cannabis industry in the Commonwealth and for your consideration of this petition.