SPRINGFIELD -- The full-time staff of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission will increase to over 40 from the previous 26 thanks to $4.4 million in personnel spending in the new state budget, a spokeswoman said.

In total, the commission's budget for fiscal 2019 is $7,987,870. The fiscal year began July 1.

The commission's budget in the previous fiscal year was $5 million.

Funding for the commission is included in the new $41.88 billion budget that Massachusetts Senate and House negotiators forged for the current fiscal year. The budget is awaiting Gov. Charlie Baker's approval.

Here's a break down of the commission's budget, according to figures the spokeswoman provided:

$4.4 million for personnel costs, as the commission plans to fill out a full-time staff of 40-plus employees. The staff total includes the five, full-time commissioners.

$2 million for offices, operations and programs.

$1.2 million for information technology, which includes the commission's licensing system and funding for the seed-to-sale marijuana plant tracking system.

$300,000 for community outreach programs that are required by law to help the commission meet its goals of including communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana arrests and incarceration and engagement with minorities, women, veterans and farmers.

The figure for personnel costs translates to an average salary of $110,000.

The spokeswoman said commission Chairman Steven J. Hoffman's annual salary is $161,522. The other commissioners -- Kay Doyle, Jennifer Flanagan, Britte McBride and Shaleen Title -- have annual salaries of $121,142 each.

Among commission programs is one on "social equity," a program to help people who have been "disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement." (see below)

For example, blacks and Latinos have been arrested at higher rates than whites for marijuana crimes despite roughly similar rates of pot use, as The New York Times and other outlets have reported.

The commission is already giving priority in review of licensing applications to "economic empowerment" applicants who come from areas and groups that have been overly affected by marijuana arrests.

The commission has hired a director of community outreach, Shekia Scott, who is developing additional training for such groups.

In order to be eligible for the program, someone must either have a past drug conviction or be the spouse or child of a person with a drug conviction, and must have lived in Massachusetts for the last 12 months. Alternatively, the person could have lived in one of the 29 Massachusetts communities classified as an area of disproportionate impact for at least five years and have income below 400 percent of the federal poverty level -- $48,240 for an individual and $98,400 for a family of four.

Among the "29 communities of disproportionate impact" are Holyoke, Springfield, West Springfield, Amherst, Greenfield and Worcester.

Social Equity Program, Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd