Cannabis Control Commission to Accept Impact Feedback from Haverhill

File photograph. (Image licensed by Ingram Image.)

Clarification: While Lawrence is not listed as a “Disproportionately Impacted Area,” the Commission said it will accept feedback form all communities.

For the next five weeks, the Cannabis Control Commission is accepting feedback from residents of Haverhill and other communities it says have been disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition.

While Haverhill and Lowell are listed as disproportionately impacted, Lawrence is not. Last fall, CCC Commissioner Nurys Camargo broached the subject of adding Lawrence, which has the largest Hispanic and Latino population in the stat. She said the city was not designated in 2018 “due to limited data.” A March 2021 study that remains under Commission review similarly left Lawrence off its list for the same reason.

Having lived in a so-called “Disproportionately Impacted Area” for five of the last 10 years is among the criteria that can make an applicant eligible for the state Commission’s Social Equity Program. Cannabis establishment applicants are asked to present the Commission by Friday, March 4, at 5 p.m., with a plan for helping such communities, which often leads to support for community organizations.

“Although the Commission has not yet identified a timeline to discuss what, if any, policy changes they may make to its DIA list, this public comment period will provide critical feedback to inform future consideration of the issue,” the Commission said.

Comments should be submitted by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Public Comment: Disproportionately Impacted Areas.”

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