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Wheels of Government Keep Turning

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Feds Pledge $25.8 Million to Mass. Public Housing Authorities “To Help Keep Residents Housed”

Funds appropriated via the CARES Act are being awarded to public housing authorities across the U.S. Of the more than $470 million being distributed, Mass. residents can expect to see more than $25 million. 

The funds are intended to help low-income families remain in their homes and thereby stem losses for property owners resulting from overdue rent and possible evictions. 

According to the report in Boston Real Estate Times, eligible coronavirus-related activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Procuring cleaning supplies and/or services to maintain safe and sanitary HCV units, including common areas of PHA-owned Project-Based Voucher (PBV) projects.

  • Relocation of participating families to health units or other designated units for testing, hospitalization, or quarantine, or transportation to these locations to limit the exposure that could be caused by using mass transportation.

  • Additional costs to supportive services vendors incurred due to coronavirus.

  • Costs to retain or increase owner participation in the HCV Program, such as incentive or retention costs (e.g. the PHA offers owner an incentive payment to participate in recognition of added difficulties of making units available for HCV families to rent while stay-at-home orders or social distancing practices are in effect).

  • Costs for providing childcare for the children of PHA staff that would not have otherwise been incurred (e.g. children are at home due to school closings, PHA staff are working outside of regular work schedules, etc).

The funds will be distributed via Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and Mainstream vouchers.

Amazon In Discussions with Simon Malls To Transform Vacant Shops Into Distribution Centers 

Amazon is in talks with Simon Property Group to potentially take over vacated department stores and turn them into Amazon distribution hubs. Should the deal come to pass, “it could have a big impact on Massachusett’s commercial real estate,” according to a report at Mass Live.

Talks have, for the most part, centered on Sears or JCPenney locations at five of the 14 Simon Mall locations across Mass. including North Attleboro, Peabody, Marlborough, Braintree, and Saugus.

Amazon is on track to become “the largest non-institutional occupier of real estate in the region,” according to real estate research. Recently, a 3.6 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center was approved for North Andover and a 100,000-square-foot delivery station is planned for South Boston.

The Wall Street Journal broke this story.

Recent Cannabis News

There’s a lot of activity going on related to the Mass. cannabis industry this month.

For starters, High Times reports that Massachusetts brought In more than $150 million in cannabis taxes. That is according to the Commonwealth Dispensary Association and the Mass. Cannabis Control Commission. 

Mass. dispensaries have sold more than $785 million in cannabis products and accessories since opening in November 2018. More than $30 million of that, or around 20 percent, has come in since Memorial Day when recreational shops reopened. 

Mass. Cannabis Workers Vote to Unionize 

According to a report by Ganjapreneur, workers at at least three Massachusetts cannabis companies including Cultivate Holdings in Leicester, Massachusetts have voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1445. 

Back in 2019, more than 100 workers at Sira Naturals in Milford, Needham, and Somerville voted to join UFCW Local 1445. Employees at Mayflower Medicinals in Holliston, Massachusetts voted in July to join Local 1445 as did employees at New England Treatment Access’ Franklin cultivation facility. 

One of the largest U.S. private-sector union, UFCW represents 1.3 million workers in retail and food processing industries. 

CCC Revisiting Delivery, Caregiver Limits, Vape Warnings

Although the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission made applications for recreational marijuana delivery licenses available in May the regulatory agency has yet to issue a license. Currently only medical marijuana delivery is permitted in the state. 

The CCC’s draft of delivery regulations attracted significant public comment and there is “some concern that the delivery will not work as currently written,” says WNYT News 13. 

Currently, delivery licenses are only available exclusively to participants in the CCC's Social Equity Program and certified economic empowerment applicants. That window will stay open for at least two years. 

Also included in the CCC’s latest draft of regulations:

  • Caregivers would be permitted to service up to 10 patients each.

  • Retailers must disclose that vape products could be hazardous to health.

  • Delivery licensees would be permitted to have an interest in another license type (and vice versa).

A vote on final regulations is planned for on Sept. 24. The CCC stopped accepting comments on the draft regulations on Aug. 14. 

On a side note, the Mass. CCC is also being petitioned to allow medical marijuana patient certifications to take place via a telehealth appointment rather than in person. 

Vertical Integration Rules Reconsidered

Although the CCC has given signs that it is not enthusiastic about eliminating vertical integration requirements for medical cannabis suppliers, the agency is soliciting public opinion on the topic. 

Currently, unlike the recreational marijuana market, medical marijuana dispensaries are required to grow, manufacture, and sell their own products.

Advocates of eliminating the vertical integration requirement claim that the rule adds cost to the final product putting the treatment out of reach for some patients. It also reduces product options and makes it difficult to open new dispensaries. 

According to current state law, no individual can hold more than three marijuana licenses of a particular type. Should the vertical integration requirement be eliminated, some operations would instantly hit that cap. Workarounds are being discussed.

Massachusetts is currently the only state to require vertical integration. Colorado and Florida have eliminated the requirement.

Commonwealth Magazine has more on this story.

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