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| Franklin, MA: Board of Health - Agenda - Sep 2 - 5:00 PM |
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| Talk Franklin: "Mid-summer in Franklin: What's going on and what's coming up! |
Listen to "Mid-summer in Franklin: What's going on and what's coming up! " Tune in to stay updated! Thanks, @FranklinMatters #FranklinMA #ThePlacetoBe #StayConnected #news #events⚓ https://t.co/XFN0qCvpwY https://t.co/lY65wHbFpr(https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1286751442947252225?s=03)
"Each making a deeply personal case for improving access to mental health care, Senate President Karen Spilka and Sen. Julian Cyr helped roll out a significant reform bill Thursday, Feb. 6, that seeks to improve access to care by identifying gaps in the mental health system, enforcing equity laws and requiring insurance coverage for many emergency services.
Spilka, who called the proposal “decades in the making,” shared how her own family struggled with her father’s mental health decline following his service in World War II, and Cyr described the obstacles he has had to overcome as a gay man to get treatment for depression and anxiety.
The state codified “mental health parity” into the law 20 years ago, and yet for close to two decades advocates and legislators have been frustrated by stories of people struggling to gain the same access to mental health care as they can for their physical health. Many patients can’t find providers and don’t know where to look, Cyr said, and if they do find a provider must wait for an appointment and often struggle to afford the care.
“We have laws and we have values that say mental health must be treated the same way physical health is, and yet we don’t do it,” said state Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, one of the bill’s authors."
"Curious about which towns and cities have banned adult-use marijuana, or where cannabis delivery is allowed?Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
The Cannabis Control Commission, a five-member board tasked with nearly everything marijuana in Massachusetts, has created a new tracker on its website, in a bid for more transparency.
“By compiling the status of adult-use cannabis across Massachusetts in one central location, the Commission has furthered its commitment to implementing a regulated industry that is transparent and accessible to a wide range of stakeholders,” Commissioner Kay Doyle said, in a press release. “This resource will provide local leaders with a basis to share information around planning and zoning best practices, simplify license applicants’ search for a host municipality, and keep the public up-to-date about the progress of legalization in our state.”
The new tracker is focused on how the state’s 351 cities and towns have zoned marijuana. Visitors to the tracker can see if a community has banned the adult-use sale of the drug, put a cap on the number of licenses allowed in town, whether delivery is allowed, and if the town is one of the state’s pilots for social consumption."
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"Two recreational marijuana shops are opening in Massachusetts this week, adding to the adult-use pot options for consumers in central Massachusetts.
Gage Cannabis Co. in Ayer and Nature’s Remedy of Massachusetts in Millbury each received “commence operations” notices from the state Cannabis Control Commission last week, allowing them to open within three calendar days.
Gage opened Monday, and Nature’s Remedy plans to open Friday.
By the end of the week, the state will have 28 open recreational marijuana stores."
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| "By the end of the week, the state will have 28 open recreational marijuana stores" |
"From standardizing community host agreements to allowing porta-potties on outdoor pot farms, speakers at a public hearing Wednesday offered many suggestions on how to tweak regulations governing recreational pot, with particular emphasis on helping small farmers succeed in the nascent industry.
“There’s no ganja like farm-grown ganja,” said Eric Schwartz, co-founder of Farm Bug Cooperative, a cooperative of farmers which will be applying for a craft marijuana cultivator cooperative license. “I think Massachusetts can be a shining example for the rest of the country in ending the failed marijuana prohibition policy.”
About 100 people gathered at the Worcester Public Library Wednesday morning for a public hearing on draft regulations governing the adult use of cannabis in the state. The meeting was hosted by members of the Cannabis Control Commission, and was one of several being held throughout the state to solicit feedback on the draft regulations - which oversee everything about the cannabis trade from seed to consumption."
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| MA Cannabis Control Commission webpage |
