{BOSTON WWLP} – A committee responsible for overseeing cannabis legislation convened a hearing on Wednesday, during which a business owner from Springfield expressed grave concerns that local businesses in the cannabis industry are on the brink of shutting down unless swift and effective reforms are implemented.
Payton Shubrick, the founder of 6 Brick’s Cannabis Dispensary in Springfield, established her business with the mission of providing access to high-quality marijuana to individuals residing in communities that have been disproportionately affected by the historical prohibition and enforcement of cannabis laws.
On Wednesday, she addressed the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, highlighting the pressing and immediate challenges that her industry is grappling with as cannabis prices continue to fall sharply. Despite this decline in prices, the operational costs for small business owners remain unchanged, creating a precarious financial situation. If cannabis business owners reach a point where they can no longer sustain their operations, they face the additional hurdle of being unable to declare bankruptcy due to the federal illegality of marijuana.
"These individuals are experiencing financial ruin as a result of this because they’ve had to guarantee their business personally. Women, people of color, and veterans are being hit the hardest," Shubrick emphasized, pointing out the severe impact on these vulnerable groups. Another significant challenge that Shubrick and her fellow business owners encounter is the issue of quality control.
The absence of a standardized statewide laboratory process for testing cannabis makes ispecifict challenging for sellers to ensure consistent quality standards across their products. In addition to advocating for the passage of certain regulatory bills, many supporters are also calling for reforms within the Cannabis Control Commission.
This governing body has been criticized for its frequent changes in leadership and its inability to adequately support Massachusetts business owners and consumers in the cannabis sector.