Today, the free Massachusetts Social Equity Program provides industry-specific training to those most impacted by the War on Drugs. Massachusetts is the only state with diversity and social equity program baked into its legislation. Today, Elev8 Cannabis celebrates its first anniversary, among many other milestones and achievements. She is a longstanding drug policy reform activist who, in addition to four other state regulatory commissioners, was acknowledged by the Bay State's governor and other elected officials statewide for initiating a cannabis legalization measure that . While it . and Massachusetts Residency Massachusetts Residency Licensing Intent Applicant Information Application SEA303500 Program Track Program Track Marijuana Establishments Submit The Social Equity Program is designed for accepted applicants to be entered into tracks. Massachusetts state Sen. Nick Collins (D) recently unveiled a new proposal for awarding business loans and loan forgiveness to social equity applicants. Massachusetts currently operates Economic Empowerment and Social Equity programs that offer historically disadvantaged groups preference in launching cannabis businesses in the state, according to the news outlet. More recent states to enact adult-use marijuana legislation, such as Massachusetts, have included social equity provisions. The free, statewide technical assistance and training program provides Participants with education, skill-based . To learn more about Massachusetts' social equity program and Title's role in it, MERRY JANE caught up with the commissioner by email to learn more. Social equity programs in states like Illinois and California were developed to address some of these inequities, like lack of access to capital, exorbitant licensing fees, and to facilitate expungements for low-level cannabis offenders. Just nine have opened for business. Massachusetts Social Equity Program; A Model For Other States. Having opened its doors at the height of the pandemic, the Athol, Massachusetts, location is a testament and model for how social equity programs could help provide opportunities in the nation's . Massachusetts has a fairly robust number of social equity initiatives. Massachusetts is taking baby steps towards social equity and everyone across the country knows it. The opportunity to run social equity programs for City Farm, which hopes to open this summer, makes the Boston partnership worth it for Sieh. While it . In the third part of Tony Frischknecht's interview with Flavia Hungaro, the owner of the new company called Locomotion Cannabis, Flavia talks about the massive social equity opportunities she has found in Massachusetts, focusing on lease options and the importance of leases for your business. Michigan opened a licensing opportunity in May and Oklahoma has opted to test breathalyzer technology to find tools to better determine whether a driver is impaired. Applicants who have previously applied to the program have received next steps and directions by email. This interview has been edited for length and . The six Massachusetts social equity vendors will now develop their own programs to help social equity applicants complete the licensing process and open a business. Massive Social Equity Opportunities In Massachusetts Part 1 Of 8. . On December 7, the Connecticut Social Equity Council approved income and residency documentation requirements for social equity applicants and cannabis businesses seeking to operate as Equity Joint Ventures. "We are going to forge strong relationships with our partners, quickly make an impact within the Massachusetts Social Equity Program and speed up construction so we can become an integral part . Hillary King, director of wholesale at Northeast Alternatives, said the social equity program was "underfunded," and said the commission had to do more to promote social justice. Industry insiders are watching a new Massachusetts social equity effort with cautious optimism. The state's new REC delivery license system is one of several programs in the state and elsewhere designed to ensure the communities most damaged by cannabis prohibition benefit from legalization. "Social equity programs can provide a range of business benefits including funding, technical and legal assistance, business incubation, and other services," Title's paper states . The state's social equity program is intended to help people who've been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs work in the new legal marijuana industry. Specifically, SD.2072 would establish a "Cannabis Social Equity Loan Trust Fund" that would make "no-interest loans, forgivable loans, or grants" for equity program participants in . State response to inequities in drug policy has been widely varied. In Massachusetts, Shaleen Title, member of the state Cannabis Control Commission, is leading the effort to ensure social justice in the state's legal marijuana program. Shaleen Title is the policy reform activist in charge of Massachusetts' social equity program. Cannabis entrepreneurs and government officials in Massachusetts believe that this unconventional policy will be the start of great innovations within and outside Massachusetts. The state remains focused on regulating the fairly new cannabis industry, however, officials believe that . Prior to her position as a regulator, Title co-founded THC Staffing Group , a recruiting firm that focuses on equality and inclusion in the cannabis industry. Additionally, cannabis business owners are overwhelmingly white and male while the workforce is largely composed of women and people of color. The approval is contingent upon the Council's acceptance of an implementation plan for the accelerator and technical assistance programs, which will provide important . but there is an expectation that there will be a social equity provision in the ordinance." . The Massachusetts social equity program is overseen by the state's Cannabis Control Commission and provides training, assistance, reduced licensing fees, and application fee waivers in addition to special licensing consideration. For a start, the bar to entry is high, with business application fees beginning at $5,000 and licensing fees ranging to a high of $30,000. When the legislature refined the citizen-authored bill, equity provisions were made even stronger, with specific mandates related to farmers, veterans and women- and minority-owned businesses, says Title. Cannabis entrepreneurs and government officials in Massachusetts believe that this unconventional policy will be the start of great innovations within and outside Massachusetts. Massachusetts Social Equity Program; A Model For Other States. (3) Participants in Social Equity Program; (4) Massachusetts residents with past drug convictions; and (5) Massachusetts residents with parents or spouses with drug convictions. The economic empowerment program is Massachusetts' social equity initiative for the cannabis space. What kinds of programs would most effectively promote equity in the industry? State response to inequities in drug policy has been widely varied. Chan School of Public Health Tawakalitu Omosalewa Oseni, MD Assistant Professor of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital; 2022 Commonwealth Fund Fellow, Harvard . The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) minor prepares business students to work with today's increasingly diverse and global workforce by exploring the social, institutional, and psychological processes that impact the way employees perceive and interact with one another. Exciting news! Today, the free Massachusetts Social Equity Program provides industry-specific training to those most impacted by the War on Drugs. What it's like to be in a state social equity program Now that Kushkart has its foot in the door, Taylor is happy to pull back the curtain on what it's like to be in Massachusetts' social . Massachusetts has several social equity programs designed to promote equity among minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. 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