Around New England

Pothead Priority At State Level Means Little To Cities and Towns

May 16, 2018

Minorities and people with drug arrests are supposed to have “economic empowerment” priority when it comes to getting licenses to sell recreational marijuana under the new Massachusetts state law, but local officials often ignore that, say applicants.

One woman told her sad experiences to the Massachusetts Cannabis Commission on Wednesday, explaining that she “plans to employ people who have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana enforcement,” but how a town manager recently told her he doesn’t care, according to MassLive.com.

Advocates say it’s a common theme, even though some are looking for ways to turn economically disadvantaged marijuana users into entrepreneurs.