BOSTON Advocates, lawmakers and former regulators urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to provide more oversight of required contracts between municipalities and marijuana businesses, arguing that the system continues to be exploited by some cities and towns, which creates a barrier for small and minority owned businesses to get started in the industry.
The issue of host community agreements has been one fraught with tension as people in the industry have argued for years that negotiations are often one-sided, with the municipalities controlling all the leverage.
The result, according to testimony given to the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, are agreements that often violate the limits put on how much cities and towns can charge marijuana businesses for traffic, public safety and other impacts they have on a community.
By Matt Murphy, State House News Service |
4 hours ago
A security guard sits in front of Stem, 124 Washington St., Haverhill. (WHAV News file photograph.)
Advocates, lawmakers and former regulators urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to provide more oversight of required contracts between municipalities and marijuana businesses, arguing that the system continues to be exploited by some cities and towns, which creates a barrier for small and minority owned businesses to get started in the industry.
A suit against the City of Haverhill, filed by downtown marijuana retailer Stem and its president, Caroline Pineau, played prominently before the Committee.
The issue of host community agreements has been one fraught with tension as people in the industry have argued for years that negotiations are often “one-sided,” with communities controlling all the leverage.
Advocates, lawmakers and former regulators urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to provide more oversight of required contracts between municipalities and marijuana businesses, arguing that the system continues to be exploited by some cities and towns, which creates a barrier for small and minority owned businesses to get started in the industry.
The issue of host community agreements has been one fraught with tension as people in the industry have argued for years that negotiations are often one-sided, with the municipalities controlling all the leverage.
The result, according to testimony given to the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, are agreements that often violate the limits put on how much cities and towns can charge marijuana businesses for traffic, public safety and other impacts they have on a community.
Cannabis community host agreements being exploited by some Massachusetts cities and towns, advocates say
Updated May 12, 2021;
By Matt Murphy | State House News Service
Advocates, lawmakers and former regulators urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to provide more oversight of required contracts between municipalities and marijuana businesses, arguing that the system continues to be exploited by some cities and towns, which creates a barrier for small and minority owned businesses to get started in the industry.
The issue of host community agreements has been one fraught with tension as people in the industry have argued for years that negotiations are often “one-sided,” with the municipalities controlling all the leverage.
Letter Martha Ebner: Just say no to a municipal kennel in a neighborhood
Published: 4/30/2021 12:30:50 PM
On April 15, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and the City Council approved funding for the construction of an animal control facility (kennel). The mayor is currently developing plans to place it in the middle of my neighborhood.
Mayor Narkewicz said, in a January 2019 MassLive article, “the ideal location would be on land far away from homes.” Why is the city now considering this parcel of land in a residential area?
Nowhere in Massachusetts is a municipal kennel located this close to homes. There is a reason for that. Approximately 100 residents will be impacted by constant barking and associated smells of the kennel and may experience serious health issues as a result, particularly the elderly and families with young children.