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Lakeville reviews draft social equity plan, host community agreement policy for cannabis; board asks for more time
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Summary
The Select Board reviewed a draft social equity plan and sample host community agreement policy required by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission and asked staff and counsel for more time and a list of clarifying questions before a vote.
The Town of Lakeville Select Board on Aug. 19 took a first look at a draft social equity plan and a model host community agreement policy required by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). The board did not vote; members asked staff and town counsel to compile questions and suggested edits and to reconvene in a short remote meeting before the end of August.
Town counsel’s draft, explained by Nicole (counsel to the town), reflects CCC regulations adopted in October 2023 that required municipalities to adopt a social equity plan (deadline May 2024, with enforcement starting May 2025). The draft plan asks the town to publish a cannabis webpage with the town’s process, application materials and scoring rubric; to post completed host community agreements; and to post completed scoring forms for transparency.
Key elements in the draft include a scoring rubric in which the social equity designation must account for 25% of an applicant’s total evaluation score, and the board may adopt a minimum threshold score for applicants to be invited to negotiations. Counsel noted the town may choose to waive or reduce application and community impact fees for equity applicants and may adopt an ‘‘exclusivity period’’ to consider only Commission‑designated social equity applicants for a limited time; the CCC’s exclusivity period for delivery licensees was cited as running through April 2026.
Board members said the materials were substantial and asked for time to digest them. The board asked counsel to compile a written list of factual questions and clarifications and to work with staff to schedule a brief remote meeting to finalize any edits needed to bring Lakeville into compliance. The board also asked staff to distribute examples of other towns’ host community agreements for comparison.
No policy or agreement was adopted at the meeting. The board directed staff to gather written questions for counsel, circulate materials, and hold a remote meeting as a next step so the board can approve a plan and policy that meets CCC requirements and Lakeville’s local priorities.
