The industry is a very competitive one and this was the only way to break into it.
In the past, 229 applicants were accepted into the cannabis training program, which was designed to help those who have been most impacted in the drug war. But the Commission claimed it did not receive funding from the Legislature for the program’s operation. This course aims to provide industry training and technical assistance regarding regulatory requirements as well as networking opportunities for those affected groups.
CCC leaders say that in response to pressures from activists, they will now start the program on September 8, with the current applicants, and accept new applicants beginning August 1.
The Legislature capped the agency’s budget at $19.88 million—about $10 million less than the commission’s $30 million budget ask for fiscal year 2026. It sparked a heated debate between lawmakers and the CCC about whether it was adequately funded for the CCC to update its IT infrastructure, hire important staff and launch public awareness campaigns.
Bruce Stebbins (acting chair of the Commission) told CommonWealth Beacon that, after the public meeting held on Thursday, he’s excited about the start-up of social justice programming and that the agency staff has done a great job working with the existing budget in order to move the process forward.
They’ve got a good grasp of what the limitations are. [of] Stebbins said, “I think that they have made a good pivot with the funding we received over the past couple of years.” They’re making changes to ensure that everyone has access to program materials and the program is open for all.”
The group that received acceptance last summer had access to virtual instruction on a platform online called TalentLMS but did not receive in-person training and networking opportunities as previous cohorts. In September there will be new courses and Zoom trainings. Classes will be held virtually to reduce costs.
The delays have caused open frustration among many accepted candidates who are eager to get started.
Kevin Gilnack was one of those accepted to last year’s cohort. “I can understand budget tensions and how the Legislature is keeping the Commission on a tight leash, as well as the tough decisions the commission had to face. But it’s frustrating for people who are eager to enter the industry.
Gilnack—who was once arrested for cannabis possession—said he is eager to take the business- and cannabis industry-specific classes offered by the program, so he can figure out if there is a viable path for him to enter the competitive industry.
In the 2016 successful ballot initiative for legalizing cannabis in Massachusetts, a part of the pitch included helping those who were harmed in the drug war to join the legal industry. The subsequent law legalizing cannabis and creating the CCC, passed by the Legislature in 2017, directs the commission to ensure full participation—still a somewhat ambiguous metric—in the industry by those disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition.
It is often hailed as a national model for its training in social equity, largely because it has a program.
The funding issue is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. The turmoil at the Commission and the regulatory delays in the last two years have been closely monitored by lawmakers. Issues include allegations of bullying at the agency, failure by the commission to collect over $500,000 in licensing fees and long delays in major regulatory changes. On June 4, the House approved a bill to reform the cannabis commission into a body of three members appointed by the Governor. This would address some of the leadership problems of the agency.
Gilnack’s organization is supporting a proposal by Liz Miranda, state senator (D), of Boston, co-chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights and Inclusion. This bill will automatically allocate funds from the cannabis tax revenues to the social equality program even if lawmakers choose not to fund it fully through their normal process, and regardless of how they decide to distribute the budget.
Gilnack stated that it was important to find a way that the future participants in social equity programs would not be held back because of these financial challenges. It would be wonderful to have the Legislature set up automatic funds so that social equity remains a priority, regardless of other things that are going on.
This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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