WORCESTER—Four Worcester cannabis businesses are among the recipients of the state’s inaugural Cannabis Social Equity Grant Program, which awarded $26 million to 180 entrepreneurs across Massachusetts.
The grants, announced by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, are funded through the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund and aim to support entrepreneurs from communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition.
The Worcester businesses – Major Bloom, New Dia LLC, The Corner Emporium, and Uproot LLC – collectively received $2 million in funding. Major Bloom and New Dia LLC were each awarded $500,000, while The Corner Emporium secured $250,000, and Uproot LLC received $450,000.
“The Cannabis Social Equity Grant Program provides marijuana entrepreneurs with much-needed support as they start and scale their businesses,” said Governor Maura Healey in a press release. “We are pleased to provide these grants to 180 business owners from populations that were impacted by the War on Drugs and expand economic opportunity in communities across Massachusetts.”
The program includes grants in four tiers, ranging from $25,000 for businesses entering the regulated cannabis industry to $500,000 for those improving and expanding operations. Worcester businesses were among the top recipients in the highest tiers of funding.
“We are creating a strong and inclusive cannabis industry that will create new jobs, grow businesses, and power economic opportunity in our cities and towns,” Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said in the announcement.
The grants are part of a broader effort to promote equity in Massachusetts’ cannabis industry, with a focus on addressing the harms caused by the “War on Drugs.”
Representative Daniel M. Donahue, chair of the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, praised the program as a step toward equitable participation in the industry, noting the importance of legislative efforts that made it possible.
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