Friends of Farm Bug,



For years now, I have told the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) as well as most recently members of the Cannabis Advisory Board (CAB) that I believe that the appointment of Amanda Rositano, the President of the New England Treatment Access (NETA), to the CAB as a "Expert in Marijuana Cultivation" is not only a conflict of interest, but, in my opinion, also a violation of the state statute by the Treasurer and Receiver General's Office, which made this appointment.



Per the state statute, Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017, Section 71 (a), the Treasurer and Receiver General shall appoint 5 members to the Cannabis Advisory Board: "1 of whom shall be an expert in marijuana cultivation." To this position, designated per the state statute as an "expert in marijuana cultivation," the Treasurer and Receiver General's Office made the decision to appoint the highest level executive of the dispensary that won the first recreational license in the state of Massachusetts. In my opinion, a "Expert in Marijuana Cultivation" is someone that has worked as a grower of marijuana either in the past or currently. This means someone that has had to watch over the cultivation of marijuana on a daily basis and worked alongside or overseen a team of growers, not a high level dispensary executive.



If you agree with me, please email Ms. Sarah Kim, General Counsel for the Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver General's Office. Click below to send a form letter or please send your thoughts directly to her. It Ms. Kim's job to uphold state law as well as the values of the Treasurer and Receiver General's Office. Email Ms. Sarah Kim, Esq. It is quite obvious at this stage of the adult use marijuana rollout in Massachusetts that our state government has worked hand-in-hand with vertically integrated medical dispensaries that are owned mostly by national and international shareholders. These vertically integrated dispensaries not only lobby the government through organizations like the Commonwealth Dispensary Association (CDA) for policies to maintain interstate cannabis monopolies. But, also, our own government is appointing high level executives of these dispensaries to positions that directly influence the regulatory body that oversees the entire cannabis industry in our state. Until our government is approached by voters and citizens that disagree with their actions, this kind of cronyism behavior will continue.



I hope you will join me and join Farm Bug Co-op in our fight to make this industry more equitable both racially and economically. In order for the market to thrive, it needs to be opened up to more local businesses and entrepreneurs. These concepts are by no means profound or radical, but our government officials have worked against its own citizens on all levels to prevent a free market. Please help us to change that and send an email to Ms. Sarah Kim, General Counsel for the Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver General's Office. Tell her that dispensary executives are not "experts in marijuana cultivation."



A big thanks to all of our followers and here's to more advocacy and a truly free market in 2020!



Yours Truly,



Eric



Eric R. Schwartz

Co-founder

Farm Bug Co-op

eric@farmbug.coop

farmbug.coop Email Sarah Kim Now.