Massachusetts Gov. Awards Social Equity Grants to 50 Cannabis Companies

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) on Tuesday awarded 50 grants totaling $2,350,000 to cannabis social equity businesses in 28 communities through the state’s Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund (CSETF). The fund was established to provide financial assistance to eligible applicants and encourage the full participation in the state’s adult-use cannabis industry by entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and enforcement.

“Our administration is committed to righting historic wrongs from the War on Drugs, both by addressing inequities in the criminal justice system and by advancing equity in the cannabis industry. With the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund, we’re creating a sustainable and inclusive path to the industry for Massachusetts entrepreneurs that have faced barriers to entry. This funding will fill critical gaps necessary to allow social equity businesses to grow and succeed here in Massachusetts.” — Healey, in a press release    

The grant awardees are:   

• Advesa MA, Inc., Cambridge, $50,000  
• Apple Guy Flowers, LLC, Uxbridge, $50,000  
• Aunty Budz LLC, Florence, $50,000   
• Bada Bloom! Inc., Tyngsborough, $50,000   
• Bailey’s Buds LLC, Dracut, $50,000   
• Belle Fleur Holdings LLC, Blandford, $50,000   
• Blossom Flower LLC, Holyoke, $50,000   
• Blue Sky Organics LLC, Newton, $50,000   
• Boston Bud Factory Inc., Holyoke, $50,000   
• Bracts & Pistils, LLC, Taunton, $50,000   
• Cloud 9 Cultivation LLC, Quincy, $20,000   
• DB Delivery MA, LLC, Boston, $33,000   
• Delivered, Inc., Clinton, $30,000   
• Dris Corporation, Natick, $50,000   
• Elevation Inc., Brockton, $50,000   
• Ember Gardens Delivery LLC, Somerset, $50,000   
• Freshly Baked Company, Taunton, $50,000   
• Gan Or LLC, Northampton, $50,000   
• Gas Bus LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Grassp Ventures LLC, Salem, $50,000   
• Green Flash Delivery LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Greener Leaf, Inc., Fall River, $50,000  
• Greenerside Holdings, LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Herbal Power LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Holyoke Smokes Corp, Holyoke, $50,000   
• Home Grown 617 LLC, Cambridge, $50,000   
• Infused Element, Holyoke, $35,000   
• JimBuddys Rec Shop, Inc., Chicopee, $50,000   
• KG Collective Brockton, LLC, Brockton, $32,000   
• KindRun Massachusetts, LLC, Hudson, $50,000   
• Lucky Green Ladies, LLC, Norton, $50,000   
• Major Bloom, Worcester, $50,000   
• Motah 420 LLC, Adams, $50,000   
• New Dia, LLC, Worcester, $50,000   
• On Root, LLC, Lynn, $50,000   
• Paper Crane Provisions LLC, Hubbardston, $50,000   
• Primus LLC, Springfield, $50,000   
• Rolling Releaf, LLC, Newton, $50,000   
• Rooted In LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Royal Sun Farm LLC, Hubbardston, $50,000   
• Social-J, LLC, Northampton, $25,000   
• Stone’s Throw Cannabis LLC, Boston, $25,000   
• Team Green, LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Teddy’s Veggie Farm, Spencer, $50,000   
• The Heritage Club LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Treevit LLC, Athol, $50,000   
• Underground Legacy Social Club LLC, Boston, $50,000   
• Uproot LLC, Worcester, $50,000   
• Verdant Reparative Inc., Boston, $50,000   
• Zyp Run, Inc., Boston, $50,000 

The grant awards come a little more than a month after Healey announced pardons for all misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions issued by the state. The pardons were approved earlier this month by the Governor’s Council, a requirement of the sweeping action.