S64 in the News: Cannabis fundraiser planned in Somerville
The Boston Globe spoke with Strategies 64 partner Mason Tvert for its coverage of a local mayoral candidate who is holding fundraiser featuring a cannabis-infused meal.
Mason Tvert, a cannabis consultant and longtime evangelist for cannabis legalization, said he could see campaigns hosting more THC-laced meals in the future. Cannabis has gained more social acceptance alongside its new ubiquity in the public square, a trend he thinks would continue if and when it is legalized at the federal level.
With time, more people of voting age will have grown up in a time when cannabis sales have been legal, and for whom the chance to pop an edible in the company of a local politician is enticing.
“As it becomes more legal and more widely accepted, we’re sure to see candidates or businesses or organizations take steps to reach out to that audience,” he said. “There are some people who might be attracted to an open bar. Some might be attracted to a cannabis- infused meal.”
Weed Wonks Podcast: Former Massachusetts cannabis regulator Shawn Collins on finding the “Goldilocks Approach” to Cannabis Policy
The 100th episode of our Weed Wonks podcast features a conversation about the cannabis policymaking process with Shawn Collins, founder of The Homegrown Consulting Group, who served as the first head of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
He and host Jordan Wellington take look at how Massachusetts developed its legal cannabis market and how he had “never seen a more complicated public policy area” than legal marijuana, which he describes as “organized chaos.” They discuss the importance of convening a “community of experts,” what happens when states adopt a “belt and suspenders” approach to policymaking, and how state officials can work with the cannabis industry to craft regulations that strike the right balance between public safety and a viable market.
Weed Wonks Podcast: Vicente LLP Partner Adam Fine discusses the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and the legal battle to allow maritime cannabis transport
Last week, a Boston Globe editorial portrayed the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission as an agency “mired in dysfunction,” and Gov. Maura Healy said the commission needs to move in a “different direction.”
In our latest episode of Weed Wonks, Strategies 64 partner Jordan Wellington is joined by attorney Adam Fine, managing partner of the Boston office of Vicente LLP, for a closer look at the issues faced by the CCC. The longtime Massachusetts cannabis attorney and policy expert also discusses the recent legal battle with the commission. The resulting settlement will allow licensed Massachusetts cannabis businesses to ship products over intrastate waterways from the mainland to dispensaries on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Weed Wonks Podcast: Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commissioner Kimberly Roy
The latest episode of Weed Wonks features Kimberly Roy of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. Strategies 64’s Jordan Wellington talks with her about efforts to expand access to veterans and more broadly educate consumers about cannabis and related issues, such as the dangers of cannabis-impaired driving.
They discuss why it is important to be honest about the risks and take an evidence-based approach, without creating undue burdens on businesses and consumers. They also discuss cannabis testing, recent state-issued pardons for cannabis offenses, putting a stop to “the wild west of host community agreements,” and steps the commonwealth is taking to “level the playing field” for legal cannabis.
The Weed Wonks podcast is produced by Strategies 64 in conjunction with our partners at Rootwurks.
