Slow Going For Efforts To Diversify The Massachusetts Marijuana Industry

One big complaint about Massachusetts' legal marijuana industry: Who is getting all those profits? Efforts to change have been slow moving.

Opening today, in Boston, is the first marijuana business in the state to apply through what's called the social equity program. It was designed to give a leg up to people and communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. But it took a while. It comes 15 months after the first retail pot shops opened in the state. 

Carrie Healy, NEPR: Matt, why did it take so long?

Matt Murphy, State House News Service: There are a lot of things at play. And this, in particular, the opening of the Pure Oasis shop in Dorchester, is a uniquely Boston issue. The city had taken a good amount of time as it was developing its local zoning requirements and regulations.

So before applications and licenses and communities like Dorchester or Roxbury and Mattapan could even be considered by state regulators, the city had to put the framework in place, so that did take some time.

And Mayor Walsh was asked this exact question last week. Why did it take so long? And his response was interesting. He said, I don't think it took that long. So, I guess a little bit in the eye of the beholder, the city wanted to get this right and now it is open. But what we are seeing the legislature look at may be making this easier for entrepreneurs to get up and off the ground.

Well, part of the problem for minority marijuana entrepreneurs that we've heard about, is the startup cost. And there's an effort to establish a loan fund. So a sort-of state financing of marijuana businesses, right?

Exactly. The legislature, since they rewrote the ballot law, has not made a lot of tweaks to it, as they've tried to let it play out and see whether or not the structure and the regulation were going to work to get this industry off the ground. We're now seeing a little openness to making some tweaks.

We saw the House passed a bill that would allow the Cannabis Control Commission to more closely scrutinized these host agreements that pot businesses signed with local communities. And now the committee that takes a look at all of this proposed legislation has advanced a bill that would create a social equity loan fund to provide no-interest loans to businesses that want to open these shops in these communities that have been impacted by drug enforcement.

So, you know, this is a long way from reaching the governor's desk. It still needs to go through some hurdles in the House and in the Senate, and we don't even know if it will get to the floor. But we are seeing, perhaps, a bit more appetite to consider tweaks to the now-aging state legalization law.

But marijuana is still an illegal drug on the federal level. Is there any concern state investment in a specific marijuana business could lead to some trouble with the feds?

Yeah, well, certainly banks cannot loan money and I'm sure this will be scrutinized for its legal implications. You're right. The U.S. attorney here in Boston, Andrew Lelling, has said that he would not look kindly on these sort-of practices that would be in clear violation of federal law. But this could be a way, with the state getting involved in handing out this money, to avoid the banks, which are themselves federally regulated, and it might be one way around it.

As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, health officials are asking people to skip the traditional handshake. On Beacon Hill, are lawmakers still sealing deals with firm handshakes or have they transitioned to elbow taps, fist bumps or — is this even a real thing — that foot shake?

Yeah. I mean, I'll tell you, I had several lawmakers come up to me last week and stick their hands out, looking to shake hands. But there are some people who have moved to fist bumps. I've even seen a few elbow bumps. But I think people are just trying to be smart about this.

There are new signs up around the building advising people of, you know, covering their mouths when they cough, washing your hands frequently. There is hand sanitizer that's been around the building here on Beacon Hill in the Statehouse for a long time, people are availing themselves of that. And it's about being smart. The governor and leaders are still saying that the risk here is relatively low, though we are seeing more cases cropping up. So I think people are waiting and watching to see how this plays out.

Keep up here with Beacon Hill In 5.