Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H184 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1443 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 184
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Chynah Tyler
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act delivering a fair share of cannabis revenue to communities harmed by the war on drugs.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/14/2025 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1443 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 184
18	18	By Representative Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 184) of Chynah
19	19	Tyler relative to cannabis revenue. Cannabis Policy.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act delivering a fair share of cannabis revenue to communities harmed by the war on drugs.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Section 14(b) of chapter 94G of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
29	29	22022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the number “15” and replacing it with the
30	30	3number “18” and inserting after the term "14A" the following:-
31	31	4 "an amount equal to 12 per cent of the revenue deposited in the fund in the prior fiscal
32	32	5year shall be transferred to the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund established in Section 14A for
33	33	6Social Equity Business technical assistance programs and support for socially or economically
34	34	7disadvantaged ancillary businesses, which may include, but shall not be limited to, businesses
35	35	8owned by people who have been arrested for a marijuana-related offense or their immediate
36	36	9family members, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, worker-owned, or immigrant-
37	37	10owned microbusinesses and small businesses that have historically faced obstacles to accessing
38	38	11capital, provided further that 10 per cent of the revenue deposited in the fund in the prior fiscal
39	39	12year shall be transferred to the executive office of economic development to administer a
40	40	13community empowerment and reinvestment grant program, provided further that 5 per cent of 2 of 4
41	41	14the revenue deposited in the fund in the prior fiscal year shall be transferred to the Cannabis
42	42	15Social Equity Trust Fund established in section 14A to provide matching grants to municipal
43	43	16equity funds, provided further that 5 per cent of the revenue deposited in the fund in the prior
44	44	17fiscal year shall be transferred to the Cannabis Control Commission for its Social Equity
45	45	18Program and implementation of procedures and policies to promote and encourage full
46	46	19participation in the regulated marijuana industry by people from communities that have
47	47	20previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and to
48	48	21positively impact those communities. The community empowerment and reinvestment grant
49	49	22program will strengthen and invest in communities: (i) that are disproportionately impacted by
50	50	23the criminal justice system; (ii) where a high percentage of individuals’ incomes fall below 250
51	51	24per cent of the federal poverty level; and (iii) with a large population of socially and
52	52	25economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups; provided, that the board
53	53	26established in this item in section 2 of chapter 227 of the acts of 2020 shall make
54	54	27recommendations to the executive office on the criteria for making grants available to
55	55	28communities and organizations; provided further, that said board shall consist of individuals
56	56	29from and with experience advocating on behalf of said communities; provided further, that said
57	57	30board shall be comprised entirely of individuals who belong to a demographic of socially and
58	58	31economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups; provided further, that
59	59	32eligible uses of grant funding shall include, but not be limited to, for socially and economically
60	60	33disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups: (a) job training, job creation and job
61	61	34placement for those who face high barriers to employment in said communities; (b) transitional
62	62	35employment programs, social enterprise, pre-apprenticeship or other training programs; (c)
63	63	36school-based or community-based high school dropout prevention and re-engagement programs; 3 of 4
64	64	37(d) cooperative, microbusiness, and small business development programs and community-based
65	65	38workforce development programs; and (e) programs focused on housing stabilization services,
66	66	39addiction treatment and trauma-informed mental health care; and provided further, that not later
67	67	40than April 1, 2025, the executive office shall submit a report to the house and senate committees
68	68	41on ways and means detailing: (1) criteria established for creating grants; (2) grants approved
69	69	42under this item, delineated by municipality and organization; (3) grants expected to be approved
70	70	43under this item, delineated by municipality and organization; and (4) the status of funds
71	71	44distributed for approved grants."
72	72	45 SECTION 2. Section 14A(a) of chapter 94G of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
73	73	462022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “applicants” the following:-
74	74	47 “and organizations that support their businesses and workforces. Grant and loan programs
75	75	48for businesses and nonprofit organizations may fund technical assistance projects on behalf of
76	76	49Social Equity Businesses and general operating support to socially or economically
77	77	50disadvantaged ancillary businesses, which may include, but shall not be limited to, minority-
78	78	51owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and immigrant-owned microbusinesses and small
79	79	52businesses, that have historically faced obstacles to accessing capital, and that have a
80	80	53demonstrated experience supporting cannabis businesses, including annual grants of not less than
81	81	54$250,000 to The EON Foundation, not less than $500,000 to the Coalition for an Equitable
82	82	55Economy, and not less than $500,000 to Mass CultivatED.”
83	83	56 SECTION 3. Section 14A(b) of chapter 94G of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
84	84	572022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out “2 persons” and replacing it with “3
85	85	58persons” and inserting after the phrase “preferably in the cannabis industry” the following:- 4 of 4
86	86	59 “with one designated ancillary business representative”
87	87	60 SECTION 4. Section 14A(c) of chapter 94G of the General Laws, as so appearing in the
88	88	612022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the phrase “social equity businesses”
89	89	62the following: -
90	90	63 “ancillary organizations”
91	91	64 and by striking out the number “5” and replacing it with the number “2” and inserting
92	92	65after “from receipt of a Provisional License from the Cannabis Control Commission”