The MRCC has decided to withdraw our partnership from the ​MassCBA Job Fair and Sealing Clinic.​ ​Please remove the MRCC name and logo from the event unless and until the following commitments are made​:

1.​ A statement by the MassCBA pledging to galvanize efforts to integrate communities and individuals most affected by the war on drugs.

Our constituents are confused about our partnership with organizations like MassCBA. Their affiliates have previously openly testified to prevent individuals from marginalized communities from participating in the legal cannabis industry. This includes individuals who are not well-capitalized and/or have gone to jail. Instead of excluding entire populations within our community, ​MRCC believes steps should be taken to educate, inform, and help transition operators from the illicit market.

The following quote should be retracted or addressed to make sure communities who have been most damaged by the war on drugs are protected in the future:

“ Simply put the vast majority of illegal operators and applicants lacking sufficient capital are ill-prepared to handle the immense chapter 280 (e) [burden.]” ​- Jay Youmans, MassCBA affiliate

2.​ Changing the name of the event, “Equity and Opportunity.”​ Equity does not mean employment, it means ownership. The job fair will only be providing entry to mid-level positions.  MRCC believes members from our communities should also have the opportunity to create communal and generational wealth by becoming owners of cannabis businesses. AND, while the event will have a record sealing clinic,

“Sealing a criminal case does not mean that the sealed records are totally erased, rather they exist in both legal and physical sense. A person can have his/her criminal records sealed so that no one may view his/her file without a court order. To the contrary, an expungement completely removes the criminal case from the public record. When an expungement is granted, a person is legally allowed not to disclose his/her criminal record or arrest.”

The real solution is expungement. Therefore, the name “​Equity and Opportunity: A Jobs Fair for a New Economy”​ is misleading and should be changed for public transparency. 

3. ​A statement from ​MEDMEN​, sponsor of the event, pledging to prioritize their employees, and remove funding from anti-immigration efforts that separate families and harm individuals affected by war on drugs.

Prioritize our employees, start the MA industry right. If MEDMEN intends on expanding to Massachusetts, they need to treat their employees with higher standards: As MedMen CEO buys new home, company is taking tips away from its employees.

We believe anti-immigration initiatives are counter-productive towards ending the war on drugs: ​Why Are Cannabis Industry Leaders Donating to Anti-Immigration Candidates? 

Therefore, until these commitments are made, the MRCC is disassociating our partnership with this event and hopes the organizations involved will reflect on their reasoning for involvement and overall contribution to the inclusivity of the Massachusetts cannabis industry.