Few Mass. communities have submitted required cannabis equity plans

Only three Massachusetts municipalities have complied with a 2022 reform law meant to ensure communities hosting marijuana businesses have an equity plan in place.

The Cannabis Control Commission recently approved Host Community Municipal Equity Plans for Cambridge, Lee and Shrewsbury, the first three host communities to receive approval. There are more than 180 host communities.

The 2022 law required host communities to adopt local rules or bylaws that include equity standards for the marijuana businesses in their borders.

Equity plans have to be submitted to the CCC for approval, and are meant "to promote and encourage full participation in the regulated marijuana industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and ... to positively impact those communities," according to the agency.

The commission began accepting applications in June 2024, and between last summer and this spring, it only received 12 submissions, Director of Investigations Katherine Binkoski said during the CCC's Thursday meeting. Meanwhile, 172 communities had not submitted plans.

The CCC approved three of those 12 applications, returning the other nine to the host communities for revisions. Starting July 2, the CCC issued notices to the other 172 communities that they had outstanding requirements to submit their policies. Since then, they have received 17 additional submissions.

"The HCME is the next step in ensuring that equity practices are being followed by cannabis businesses and their host communities," Binkoski's presentation to the commission said.

Under the plans, municipalities will have to outline how they'll encourage individuals and businesses who meet the commission's definition of social equity program participants and economic empowerment priority applicants. These designations target "geographic areas that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement," people living under 400% of area median income, racial minorities, women, people with disabilities, veterans and LGBTQ+ folks.

The plans have to include goals, programs, and measurements a host community will use to promote and encourage equity participation, as well as a method to consistently publish data regarding the applicant pool.