Governor Launches Funding for Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund

03:41PM / Friday, January 26, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) launched the "Immediate Needs Grant Program," the inaugural program that will provide financial assistance from the state's Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund.

The first of its kind in Massachusetts, this new grant program will make financial assistance available for cannabis entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. The program aims to increase equity and opportunity within state's regulated marijuana industry.

This funding round will make $2.3 million available to support qualified cannabis business license holders with urgent financial needs. It will be the first of several programs, which will launch as additional resources become available in the Trust Fund.

"The Cannabis Social Equity Fund was created to ensure that communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana regulations have an equal opportunity to engage in this new industry," said Governor Maura Healey. "The programs enabled by this fund highlights our commitment to supporting Social Equity businesses and will help strengthen the industry and our economy."

The Legislature enacted the enabling law for this program in August 2022. As part of the FY23 closeout supplemental budget enacted in November 2023, the Healey-Driscoll Administration partnered with the Legislature to resolve technical issues affecting the funding mechanism.

EOED is charged with administering the Fund, in consultation with the Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board. The Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board met five times in 2023 to help inform trust fund regulations and program development.

"For the past year, I've had the honor of working alongside my fellow board members to educate, advise and discuss the important, strategic, and beneficial topics and areas that we believed should be captured in regulating the fund and application process," said Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board Chair Keisha Brice. "The Social Equity Trust Fund will play a crucial role in upholding the Commonwealth of Massachusetts promise to support people and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. In partnership with the EOED I believe what we have drafted is a reflection of a fair process that is equitable, commits to our fiduciary responsibilities and still allows room for growth as the industry evolves and we learn from this initial process. I look forward to our ongoing commitment to making an impact on what social equity in cannabis looks like in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and I encourage everyone to continue advocating for change as there's more work to be done."

The Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund was established by MGL Chapter 94G: Section 14A 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.

The Immediate Needs Grant Program will distribute grants from the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund to Massachusetts social equity entrepreneurs and businesses. EOED plans to launch additional programs later in 2024 to further support social equity in the cannabis industry.

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Pittsfield School Committee Sees Budget Calendar, Chapter 70 Concerns

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Monday, January 19, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools kicked off its fiscal year 2027 budget calendar, and are again facing uncertainties with state Chapter 70 funding.

During the first meeting of the new term on Wednesday, the School Committee OK'd an FY27 budget calendar that plans the committee's vote in mid-April. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips stressed the importance of equity in this process.

"It's really important for us through these next couple of months to look at our different schools, our different needs, different student demographics, and really understand, are we just assigning resources equally, or are we really assigning them based on what different groups of students need?" she said.

The district could lose up to $5 million in Chapter 70 funding from declining enrollment, specifically of low-income students. This is a similar issue that PPS saw in 2024, when the discovery of 11 students meeting those income guidelines put the district in the higher funding category and added $2.4 million to the school budget.

"We are in a funding category, Group 11, for a district with a large percentage of low-income students, and that number could fluctuate depending on who exited the district," Phillips explained.

"So we're going to do our best to understand that, but ultimately, these numbers will impact the budget that is proposed to us by the governor."

According to the budget calendar, a draft budget will be presented in March, followed by a hearing in early April, and the School Committee is set to vote on the budget in mid-April. The City Charter requires it to be adopted before May 1, and a meeting with the City Council must occur no later than May 31.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland provided an overview of the Chapter 70 funding and budget process. The budget calendar, she said, is designed to really support transparency, coordination, and legal compliance.

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