Minimum Policies That Support Transparency 

Under Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022, the commission was required to establish certain policies for cities and towns to adopt for their engagements with license applicants and licensees that are equity applicants as identified below:

• Social Equity Program Participants (SEP),  
• Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants (EEA),  
• A new category of Social Equity Businesses (SEB), defined as Marijuana Establishments that consist of majority ownership by individuals who are approved SEPs, EEAs, or both; and  
• Individuals and entities that are pre-verified or verified by the Commission as SEBs.  

Cities and towns that host cannabis licensees in their community are now required to adopt minimum policies and procedures that support transparency and establish equity plans and standards, including, but not limited to the following:

• Adopting the agency's Model Municipal Equity By-Law or Ordinance Template;  
• Adopting an ordinance or by-law to exclusively permit SEBs for at least three (3) years; or  
• Creating a local approval process for equity applicants (EEAs, SEBs, SEPs, and verified or pre-verified SEBs) that is administered on a 1:1 basis.  

Host Communities have until May 1, 2025, before the commission imposes fines against those that are out of compliance and/or have failed to come into compliance. 

 See Also: Massachusetts Cannabis Sales Soar Past $6B Record, Canada Sees Steady 1.7% Year-Over-Year Growth

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