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EXPUNGEMENT + MARKET PARTICIPATION

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A CALL FOR MARIJUANA EXPUNGEMENT + MARKET PARTICIPATION

Boston, MA Feb 5th, 2018 – Two important public meetings are happening this week during the final CCC listening tour:  A Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy  Executive meeting and a Cannabis Advisory Board Market Participation public meeting.

1. The “joint” committee was responsible for making major changes to the law around taxes and municipal control last year. It came as a surprise, that this week, these committee members will be voting on some very important bills. Three different bills around marijuana expungement will be addressed: Bill S.1063, Bill S.1075, & Bill H.2785. As we move forward with legalization, we cannot forget about the war on drugs has ravaged people of color and low-income communities alike. According to the ACLU, black Americans are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Americans, although both groups use the drug at roughly the same rate here in Massachusetts. 

CALL TO ACTION: Contact the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy. Tell them to advocate for Bill S.1063, Bill S.1075, & Bill H.2785. The more public support, the closer we’ll get to making marijuana expungement a reality in Massachusetts. We wouldn’t be the first state to introduce marijuana expungement. In California, the City of San Francisco will wipe out thousands of marijuana convictions dating back to 1975.

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2. The Cannabis Advisory Board (CAB) Market Participation subcommittee is hosting a public meeting. The purpose of this subcommittee is to provide recommendations on cannabis market participation from women, minority and veteran-owned businesses, local agriculture and growing cooperatives.

One of the subcommittee’s recommendations for final cannabis regulations included creating a social consumption “BYOC” or “Bring Your Own Cannabis” policy with low barriers to entry. HOWEVER, this did not make it into the draft regulations. These sort of events already happen all over Massachusetts and we should create a way for people to transition from operating in the illicit market to the legal industry.

CALL TO ACTION: Join MRCC at the Cannabis Advisory Board Market Participation Subcommittee Meeting at the Massachusetts State House, Room 437 on Thursday February 8 at 10:30am and advocate for BYOC during public comment. The more public support, the closer we’ll get to having a safer and more equitable cannabis community. We wouldn’t be the first state to introduce BYOC. In California, BYOC is allowed at permitted weddings, on fairgrounds, and other consumption-friendly venues.

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ABOUT US
The Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council (MRCC) seeks to ensure the safety of recreational marijuana consumers by bridging the gaps between communities, local legislators, and Massachusetts businesses.

THIS IS YOUR INDUSTRY, BECOME A MEMBERMEDIA CONTACT
KAMANI JEFFERSON, President
kamani@massreccouncil.com
617-245-8646 (office)

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