On October 11th, Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg announced that they were seeking applicants for the Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board. The deadline, which was November 1, has been extended until November 15th.
The Equity Advisory Board will consult with the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) as EOHED administers the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund (the Trust Fund). A first of its kind, the Trust Fund was established to encourage the full participation in the state’s regulated marijuana industry of entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement (ADI Communities). The Equity Advisory Board will consult with EOHED as it:
Selects recipients, grant or loan values and conditions for such grants or loans, including when taking into consideration the racial, ethnic and gender demographics of the municipality in which the recipient businesses are located;
Issues regulations governing the structure and administration of the Trust Fund; and
Reports on the Trust Fund’s prior fiscal year expenditures.
The Equity Advisory Board will consist of 5 members:
1 person appointed by the Governor with a background in the cannabis industry, who shall serve as chair;
1 person appointed by the Treasurer with a background in finance or commercial lending;
1 person appointed by the Attorney General with a background in business development or entrepreneurship; and
2 persons appointed by a majority vote of the Governor, Treasurer, and Attorney General, who shall have experience in business development, preferably in the cannabis industry.
Equity Advisory Board members must be from, or have experience advocating for, ADI Communities. A current list of the ADI Communities as identified by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission are on the Commission’s website or at the link here:
200825_Guidance_for_Identifying_Areas_of_Disproportionate_Impact.pdf (masscannabiscontrol.com)
If appointed, Equity Advisory Board members shall serve for five (5) years. Appointees may be reappointed at the end of their term. Equity Advisory Board members will not receive a salary, stipend, or other compensation for their service, but shall be reimbursed for their actual expenses reasonably incurred in the performance of their official duties.
For more details about the Equity Advisory Board or the Trust Fund, please see Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022, which is available at this link: Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022.
If you are interested in being appointed to the Equity Advisory Board, please send a letter of interest by November 15, 2022 to the Human Resources Department of the Office of the State Treasurer by email at HR@tre.state.ma.us or by U.S. Mail to One Ashburton Place, 12th Floor, Boston, MA 02108. Feel free to submit a resume, but one is not necessary to apply. Please note, however, you may be asked to confirm your work and other background experiences as part of the appointment process.
Your letter of interest should include an explanation and/or identification of:
The seat you are applying for (e.g., Governor, Treasurer, Attorney General, or joint appointee);
Whether you are from or have experience advocating for, ADI Communities and the name of the communities; and
Whether you have prior/present involvement in the Massachusetts regulated marijuana industry and describe that involvement.
The Treasurer’s office will coordinate distribution of applicant submissions to the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices. The application may be downloaded from the website of the Massachusetts State Treasurer.
Please note, your letter of interest and any other materials you submit may be subject to the public records law.