BCAT News

The Burlington Select Board tabled a conversation on a cannabis social equity policy Monday after considering it for the first time. 

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission requires Burlington to implement such a policy because our current regulations allow for medical marijuana sales, even though there are currently no such facilities within town lines. 

According to attorney Elizabeth Lydon, who works with Town Counsel Lisa Mead at the law firm Mead, Talerman & Costa, the social equity policy would make it easier for social equity businesses to get a foothold in town by lowering fees, making the requirements easily available on a town website, and establishing clear pathways for underrepresented groups. The details of the policy are not yet available.

Town Meeting Member Sarah Cawley said she was fine with a social equity policy, but thought more consideration for cannabis-related policies was due. “Similar to how we have an alcohol subcommittee, there are so many policies with cannabis, we should think about having a subcommittee or having it tied in with the alcohol subcommittee to keep up with all this stuff,” she said.  

There is no connection to a proposal to allow recreational marijuana sales slated to appear on the September Town Meeting warrant, but Will Seagaard, a Burlington resident who is the proponent of those warrant articles, spoke in favor of the social equity policy at the Select Board meeting. 

“I’m a big advocate for the social equity policy,” he said. “It’s a no-brainer and the town should adopt it. I don’t know how informed you guys have been on it. It hasn’t been a focus for what we’ve been discussing, but basically the state has separate license categories for people who have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs and underrepresented peoples, so I’m in support of it.”

Towns that have bylaws allowing for recreational or medical marijuana sales should already have social equity policies in place, but enforcement isn’t anticipated to begin until May of 2025.