Padula: How the cannabis industry left you behind

“If you want to challenge the system, don't go to bed with it.” -- singer Ani Difranco

Cannabis is legal in the commonwealth, and I’ve never felt as unsettled as I do right now.

The future of the legal cannabis industry may be a road paved in gold, but the road was built on the backs of those most negatively impacted by the war on drugs.

The push for legalizing cannabis has always been rooted in the philosophy that it would reduce crime, help solve social issues such as unemployment and overcrowded prisons, all while revitalizing communities disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition. Legalization also implies that what you’re purchasing must be safe.

So far, the state has broken just about every promise and adjustable deadline. Legalization has amounted to corporatization, and small businesses no longer have a chance without endless cash flow. This is the reality of where we are.

Deceptive language is my mortal enemy. In one of my first columns, I went into great detail about this. Terms such as “safe access” have always irked me for their arbitrary nature.

If you’ve been reading my column, I’ve shared many known violations against businesses’ pesticide use and presence of mold in cannabis sold in licensed dispensaries dating back to 2015.

Recently, several dispensaries have been found in violation of a dangerous regulation; two were shut down with little information as to why.

In January, what I believe to be hands-down the most concerning violation in cannabis’s entire legal life in the commonwealth -- medically or recreationally -- resulted in a story that came and went within days, regardless of its importance. It was my breaking point. Framingham Police discovered that MCR Labs -- the most-recognized laboratory in medical cannabis, as well as the first to receive a license for recreational sale in Massachusetts -- was disposing thousands of tested cannabis samples in an unlocked trash bin outside MCR’s building.

As Massachusetts lawmakers begin hearing proposed changes to cannabis laws, I hope they focus on preventing serious violations like those committed by MCR Labs. Otherwise, how can we expect residents to follow the laws?

The state’s Cannabis Control Commission is supposed to protect consumers from bad practices, but so far, it has been ineffective. The most-disturbing display of just how little influence the CCC holds has been its inability to enforce its own regulations, most notably social equity in the cannabis industry

Massachusetts was supposed to be the trailblazer in diversifying the cannabis industry, from business owners to employees. Most other states with legalized cannabis do not have any framework in place for creating and promoting diversity in the industry. But, in Massachusetts, these considerations were built in the original regulations prior to its rollout. An economic empowerment program gave priority licensing consideration to applicants in areas most disproportionately affected by the war on cannabis -- predominantly low-income, minority communities.

Giving those most disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition a head start in the application process doesn’t quite balance the scales. The timely return of application materials isn’t the problem; the staggering amount of capital needed to buy one’s way into a cannabis industry working to keep them out is.

Vowing to get to the bottom of why so few minority entrepreneurs utilized first dibs on acquiring a recreational license, the CCC sent a survey last summer to economic empowerment applicants.

Rather than report the obvious results, I recommend reading that last sentence again.

There is an incredible lack of diversity on the ground, as well. In cultivation facilities, medical dispensaries and inevitably in adult-use shops, people of color are hardly represented. The cannabis industry is constantly hiring, but even with the abundance of open positions, people of color are clearly missing.

Having worked in the industry, I observed an environment consisting of mostly white male owners and employees. Minority and female employees were almost exclusively hired for trimming and packaging positions and rarely even caught a glimpse of the cultivation area. But it was dangled in front of them, as though the American dream was behind those doors. Believe me, dreams are not thriving in there.

In an article on MassLive, it was reported that “(CCC) Commissioner Britte McBride suggested that the commission needs to hire a research firm to gather data and study whether there are barriers to entry for these applicants, what they are and how to address them. Commissioners also discussed gathering data on what types of ancillary businesses are benefiting from the industry — for example, carpenters or lighting experts who build grow facilities.”

Hiring a research firm to figure out why those most negatively affected by marijuana when it was illegal are having a hard time launching a business in an arena of billionaire white men comes off as another waste of time. I can answer that for you -- a long, hopeless and bankrupting battle against an already solidified white, commercial market is what’s holding them back.

As a consolation to all those shut out of the commercial cannabis industry, the CCC is considering limiting home delivery licenses to equity applicants. This would be like offering table scraps after promising a seat at the table. Commissioner Shaleen Title, who is essentially the one holding the weight of people’s hopes on her shoulders, is the only true cannabis advocate on the commission. She recently voiced her frustration with the other committee members, quoted by several media outlets as saying, “Enough talk about the equity applicants and what’s going wrong, it’s time to talk about concrete, tangible solutions moving forward.”

I believe Title to be very much with the people -- and feel that without her, the last threads of hope for a diverse industry would die at the hands of the other members.

The recreational cannabis industry, as it currently stands, is built to devour those it aimed to help the most. Actual patients with real conditions, who may have finally opened up to treating themselves with cannabis, are now confused and intimidated by a marketplace driven by money, not compassion. Many will abandon the idea. Not even the social equity framework built into the state’s licensing regulations were able to slow businesses down from doing whatever they wanted.

The reality is, no one in power is watching out for the safety of the patients or protecting the vision of an equitable and diverse cannabis industry. So, we must protect ourselves.

To get involved in the fight for equity and equality in the cannabis industry, consider becoming a member of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council (MRCC), a group at the forefront of this battle.

If you are a patient in need of information or would like to get involved in the movement to protect patients, consider joining up with the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA) and MassCann.

Gregg Padula is an employee of GateHouse Media New England. He has experience in several areas of the cannabis industry, and now serves as an advocate for both patients' and workers’ rights. He can be reached at gpadula@wickedlocal.com.