Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

Massachusetts might start home cannabis delivery this year, according to the Boston Globe. The state’s Cannabis Control Commission voted to approve policies that would allow home delivery in areas where it hasn’t already been banned, and the program would specifically benefit communities that have been harmed by the War on Drugs.

“Delivery is an important thing to do,” commission chairman Steve Hoffman said. “I believe we’re ready. This is going to make it more accessible for consumers… and it’s a very important thing from a social equity standpoint, because of the lower barriers to entry in terms of the capital requirements.”

The policies that have so far been agreed to would make it so licenses to deliver would only be given to those involved in the commission’s economic empowerment and social equity programs for at least the first two years. Those involved in the programs are largely residents from communities of color, which have been disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs.

“As a new license category, it seems big, but the regulations are still very limited in the amount of licensing categories that are actually possible,” Maggie Kinsella, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, told Cannabis News Box. “Each delivery option could be included as a tier.”

Kinsella said the only groups opposing these delivery proposals appear to be “law enforcement and the Massachusetts Municipal Association,” which she said claim to be concerned with public safety.

These proposals could help make the industry less dominated by largely white men, and Kinsella said that these efforts could help diversify the industry “if they can enter based on the barriers of entry created with a limited number of delivery license types.”

Beyond these efforts, Kinsella said the state needs to focus on clemency and expungement for those with cannabis-related charges on their criminal records since people of color make up a large part of those with such charges on their records.

“There are still patients, consumers, and entrepreneurs sitting in jail because they do not fit in the regulated structure controlled like Big Brother,” Kinsella said. “This is unacceptable that there are individuals, mostly rich, white, men making millions while people, mostly black and brown, are stripped of their freedom and locked up.”

The proposals are still not set in stone, and it looks like there will be more to debate in the months to come, but lawmakers in the state are hopeful this can be completed soon.