MRCC’s Second Annual Massachusetts Juneteenth Growers Gift Drive is here. This is an African American led initiative in celebration of the emancipation of African Americans from slavery on June 19th, 1865. This year MRCC is working with homegrowers across the state to directly gift cannabis seeds, seedlings, and clones to an African American in honor of Juneteenth. African Americans have a rich history with seeds and we find it fitting to honor this day by gifting cannabis seeds, seedlings, & clones at the Boston Juneteenth cookout. Gifting cannabis is legal in Massachusetts.
In acknowledgement of the continued widening racial justice & health inequities across Massachusetts:
- Since legalization of cannabis racial disparities for cannabis arrests have increased up to 116x higher across the state of Massachusetts. Legal doesn’t create safety for Black consumers.
- Consumer rights has been declared a racial justice issue by our federal government.
- The wealth gap is $8 to $247k per Black resident to white resident in MA.
- 96% of farmland is white owned in MA.
- Since legalization of cannabis Massachusetts has made over THREE BILLION dollars in cannabis sales and ZERO cannabis tax revenue has gone towards Black led harm reduction, addiction, mental health, or health programs versus millions that have gone towards white led harm reduction, addiction, mental health, or health programs.
- Medical racism and anti-black consumer discrimination is producing major health inequities in Massachusetts, including within our cannabis industry.
MRCC will also have a community hub at the Juneteenth cookout with all African Americans celebrating their heritage in Boston. Other community organizers such as Families for Justice as Healing will join us to provide free information on community resources, upcoming racial justice events and policies to support to stop 40 million of tax dollars on the building of a new womens prison and reparations from slavery in MA. To move in solidarity for racial justice you can support in any of the following ways:
- Directly gift an African American cannabis seeds, seedlings, clones, or gardening materials for Juneteenth. please sign up here to gift
- To volunteer for setting up, breaking down, or a ride to pick up gifted plants please sign up here to volunteer for Juneteenth Growers Gift Drive
- To directly purchase community hub items needed for the cookout on Juneteenth please click here
- To directly donate to the peoples fund for food to be purchased for the cookout at the community hub on Juneteenth please go here: bit.ly/ThePeopleSolidarityFund
- To support systemic change for racial justice through our state wide municipal campaign for reparations from slavery please attend our weekly action circle and antiracist study group: bit.ly/solidarity4racialjustice
Public Transparency for The Peoples Solidarity Fund: All funds donated to MRCC’s The Peoples Solidarity Fund will be discussed at the next action circle meeting where people will know what items have been donated & by whom, how much is still needed, and discuss strategies on how funds should be distributed to support our campaign for racial justice and have a successful community hub at the cookout for Juneteenth.
Last year our gift drive was a huge success as we gifted almost 50 cannabis seeds, seedlings, & clones to African Americans for Juneteenth through public participation for racial justice. This year we look forward to gifting 100 African Americans in solidarity with you and other growers across the state and country.
Please let us know if you have any questions and look forward to working with you in solidarity for racial, healing, transformative justice.
Our Mission: Established since 2017, Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council is a political organization in advocacy of people that have been disproportionately harmed by the racially motivated War on Drugs. Black & Brown, women, and queer led – our workers move in solidarity for racial, healing, and transformative justice through an intersectional framework.