CityLine: Sun. May 30, 2021: Andrea Cabral, Ascend Massachusetts

Welcome back A sin is the first adult use dispensary in boston’s downtown. This newly opened cannabis shop is now the largest in New England, located on Friends Street near the T. D. Garden. The five storey building spans 16,000 square feet. And joining us today is Andrea Cabral. She’s ceo of a sin massachusetts with retail cannabis stores in boston, Newton, New Bedford and also ceo of mass growing cannabis cultivation and manufacturing company in Athol. Welcome to cityline Andrea Cabral. How are you? I am. Well, it’s very nice to be with you. Good to see you today. So let’s talk about the assassins. Uh store downtown is led by two african american women. One is the general manager, the other the assistant general manager. You have a latino male there who’s the other assistant general manager. Uh talk about the the diversity and the effort to level the playing field for people of color in the cannabis industry. Well, companies have to start with an ethos that supports being very intentional about that, and that’s not just about hiring. I mean, clearly ascend is very intentional, very focused in terms of the hiring and making sure that both uh, you know, regular staff and managerial staff uh reflect the demographics of the city in which they operate and in this case it’s boston. So we’ve been very intentional about that and we have an incredibly diverse uh staff on the ground. But beyond that, I think it’s incumbent upon cannabis companies to be very proactive within the industry to bring the industry forward on equity. And that means getting involved in not just having great social equity programs inside the company, but getting involved outside of the company to bring access to capital, to level the playing field on host community agreements and equal access and the opportunity in the in the industry. And I’m hoping that we see more of that as we go forward. You know, um you um joined this company in 2018. Why did you make the decision to get involved in this industry and take such a visible prominent role? We we all know you have a background in law enforcement and so some might say, Wow, the former sheriff is now in the cannabis industry. Yeah, a couple of things. First, a very very good friend was starting the company and uh you know, I I wanted to uh do something different. But more importantly, I had some familiarity with the cannabis industry as it was evolving because when I was secretary of public safety, uh medical legalization of medical use uh came into play and I was involved a bit in the regulations there. And then I joined the cannabis Advisory Board which advises the commission in 2017, was appointed by Attorney General Healey. And I what I understood was that this is a brand new industry. It’s very rare to get the opportunity to be part of a brand new industry, generally even more rare as a black woman and to have the ability to be part of a company that can help mold and shape that industry within a particular state and possibly beyond, very attractive to me. And those were really the reasons I joined. Well, you are on the inside looking out. So you know that the road to success in the cannabis industry is not really an easy one to talk about some of the barriers to opportunity and entrepreneurship and how the cannabis industry might need to change so that others can participate. Yes, well, there it is a heavily regulated industry and um, this is not unusual when uh an industry is regulated. That is relatively new. It is certainly unique to have it be uh with a product that has the kind of history that cannabis has, that has been sort of unfairly demonized over the years. There’s a lot of stigma to push back on. What I’m hoping is that as we go forward, the regulations begin to recognize the practical um operation of the cannabis industry and and focus less on the worry about what will happen if cannabis is legally and freely sold and more about how to regulate an entirely appropriate product in the marketplace. But access to capital is probably the biggest barrier because there is no access to federal banking right now, because it is still federally prohibited. The Banking act is passed the House, uh, you know, uh, in Washington, but it hasn’t passed the Senate. And that really on levels the playing field because it is so incredibly costly to start a cannabis company. Uh, and so that at the moment seems to be an insurmountable barrier for many people having that, uh, you know, half a million dollars just sitting in the bank. That is necessary to even be considered for one of these opportunities. And that’s why we’re working on ways to level that playing field. So there are, there are investment funds that are social impact investment funds. They specifically look to invest in companies that are going to increase entrepreneurship among black and brown people. But to me, the shortest distance between to the two points is the tax revenue. The state takes a sizable amount of tax revenue from cannabis operations and every single city or town where you operate is entitled to an additional 3% of your annual gross revenue. Some of that money should be set aside. It can be uh meted out in through grants. It can be done at the local level, can be done at the state level. But some of that should be set aside. For precisely that reason, there is plenty of tax revenue uh to go around plenty more to come and some of that should be used to make this a more equitable industry. Now you’re a huge proponent of assassins, social equity program. Tell us what that is all about. Well, in addition to the hiring um and the training to make sure that people can move from working force and either as a manager or a retail worker and move into entrepreneurship or move into um larger ownership of cannabis company. We have um ah we’re in the process of starting a nonprofit um that will be separate and independent of the cannabis um company but will be partially funded by the cannabis company that can have a much larger impact on what I consider to be the intergenerational impact of over policing and over prosecution with regard to cannabis. So this nonprofit can work with community programs in communities, businesses in communities that are the backbone of some of these communities and can help support them uh financially and otherwise with training and other programs. Um We also have a program with the sheriff’s office so that we are able to look at candidates who are about to be released from the House of correction, Who have gone through certain reentry programs. They are vetted first by the sheriff’s office, referred to us and we are in the process of hiring many of those folks as well to get them involved in the cannabis industry. So we have some statistics here, some data on what’s going on at a send. Uh, total staff 65, 60% male, 36.8% female, 3.1% trans gender, non binary racial composition, 51.7% black, 20% latino, hispanic, 28.3% white. Uh 10.8% L. G. B. T. Q. 3.1% veterans, 33.3% over the age of 30. Uh, more than half of employees live five miles or less from the store, 73% full time. Uh and 26.2% are part time. Pretty good data there. Uh, in terms of results for what you’re doing, we’re working on it, we’re working on it. And we we we have two more stores coming online, one in Newton and one in New Bedford. Um, and so we always promised to hire locally, uh, and we really do pay attention to the local community standard. And, you know, equity is very important in many of these communities. So, you know, we’re sort of running on parallel or consonant tracks with that, but we’ll continue to do it in the company. It’s really important to be a model, um and to highlight how important it is to get everyone into this industry Andrea Cabral as we close out this segment, if there was one thing that you would recommend to the cannabis Control Commission, uh that needs to change, to improve uh access, what would it be, I would say? Um, a little less regulation, uh you know, looking at the regulations regularly reviewing them and making sure that there’s still um, every single one of them is absolutely necessary, but but a lot more movement. And I think the commission is doing this on social, on the access to Capital Front, and I and I know the chairman, Hoffman, is hard at work at that. I’ve been working with them. All right, Andrew Cabral, thank you for being here when we return how the cannabis Control commission gives the red or green light in obtaining a license to open here exactly what’s involved. Thank you.
KAREN: ASCEND IS THE FIRST ADULT USE DISPENSARY IN BOSTON’S DOWNTOWN. THE NEWLY OPENED CANNABIS SHOP IS THE LARGEST IN NEW ENGLAND. LOCATED NEAR THE TD GARDEN, THE FIVE-STORY BUILDING SPANS 15,000 SQUARE FEET. JOINING US TODAY IS ANDREA, THE CEO OF ASCEND MASSACHUSETTS WITH RETAIL STORES IN BOSTON, NEWTON, AND BEDFORD AND THE CEO OF A MITTEN OF — CEO OF A CANNABIS MANUFACTURING COMPANY. HOW ARE YOU? ANDREA: I AM WELL. KAREN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ASCEND STORE DOWNTOWN. LED BY TWO AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN, ONE IS THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THE OTHER IS THE ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER. YOU HAVE A LATINO MALE WHO IS THE OTHER ASSISTANT MANAGER. TALK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY AND THE EFFORT TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. >> COMPANIES HAVE TO START WITH AND EAT THOSE — AN ETHOS THAT SUPPORTS BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT. THAT INCLUDES MORE THAN JUST TIRING. ASCEND IS FOCUSED IN TERMS OF THE HIRING AND MAKING SURE THAT REGULAR STAFF AND MANAGERIAL STAFF REFLECT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE CITY WITHIN — WHICH IT — WITHIN THEY OPERATE. WE HAVE BEEN INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT AND HAVE AN INCREDIBLY DIVERSE STAFF ON THE GROUND. I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT UPON CANNABIS COMPANIES TO BE PROACTIVE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, TO BRING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD. THAT MEANS GETTING INVOLVED IN NOT JUST HAVING GREAT SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS INSIDE THE COMPANY, BUT GETTING INVOLVED OUTSIDE OF THE COMPANY TO BRING ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD ON HOST COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS AND EQUAL ACCESS IN THE INDUSTRY. I’M HOPING THAT WE SEE MORE OF THAT AS WE GO FORWARD. KAREN: YOU JOINED THIS COMPANY IN 2018, WHY DID YOU MAKE THE DECISION TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS INDUSTRY AND TAKE SUCH A VISIBLE, PROMINENT ROLE? WE ALL KNOW YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. SOME MIGHT SAY, THE FORMER SHERIFF IS NOW IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. ANDREA: A COUPLE OF THINGS. A VERY GOOD FRIEND WAS STARTING A COMPANY, AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I HAD SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY AS IT WAS EVOLVING. WHEN I WAS SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY, LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL USE CAME INTO PLAY AND I WAS INVOLVED IN THE REGULATIONS THERE AND I JOINED THE CANNABIS ADVISORY BOARD WHICH ADVISES THE COMMISSION AND WHAT I UNDERSTOOD WAS THAT THIS IS A BRAND-NEW INDUSTRY, IT’S VERY RARE TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF A BRAND-NEW INDUSTRY GENERALLY EVEN MORE RARE AS A BLACK WOMAN AND TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE — BE PART OF — IS VERY ATTRACTIVE TO ME AND THOSE WERE THE REASONS I JOINED. >> YOU ARE ON THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT SO YOU KNOW THE ROAD TO SUCCESS IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS NOT AN EASY ONE. TALK ABOUT THE BARRIERS TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY AND HOW THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE SO OTHERS CAN PARTICIPATE. >> IT IS A HEAVILY REGULATED INDUSTRY. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL, WHEN AN INDUSTRY IS REGULATED THAT IS RELATIVELY NEW. IT IS CERTAINLY UNIQUE TO HAVE IT BE WITH A PRODUCT THAT HAS THE KIND OF HISTORY THAT CANNABIS HAS THAT HAS BEEN SORT OF UNFAIRLY DEMONIZED OVER THE YEARS, THERE IS A LOT OF STIGMA I’M HOPING AS WE GO FORWARD THAT THE REGULATIONS BEGIN TO RECOGNIZE THE PRACTICAL OPERATION OF THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY, AND FOCUS LESS ON THE WORRY ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF CANNABIS IS LEGALLY AND FREELY SOLD AND MORE ABOUT HOW TO REGULATE AN ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE PRODUCT IN THE MARKETPLACE. ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS THE BIGGEST BARRIER BECAUSE THERE IS NO ACCESS TO FEDERAL BANKING BECAUSE IT’S STILL FEDERALLY PROHIBITED, THE BANKING ACT HAS PASSED THE HOUSE IN WASHINGTON BUT HAS NOT PASSED THE SENATE. THAT ON LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD BECAUSE IT’S SO INCREDIBLY COSTLY TO START CANNABIS COMPANY. KAREN: THAT, AT THE MOMENT, SEEMS TO BE AN INSURMOUNTABLE BARRIER FOR MANY PEOPLE, HAVING THAT HAPPEN MILLION DOLLARS SITTING IN THE BANK THAT IS NECESSARY TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES. ANDREA: THAT’S WHY WE ARE WORKING ON WAYS TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. THERE ARE INVESTMENT FUNDS THAT ARE SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTMENT FUNDS. TO ME THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO POINTS IS THE TAX REVENUE. THE STATE TAKES A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF TAX REVENUE FROM CANNABIS OPERATIONS AND EVERY SINGLE CITY OR TOWN WHERE YOU OPERATE IS ENTITLED TO AN ADDITIONAL 3% OF YOUR ANNUAL GROSS REVENUE. SOME OF THAT MONEY SHOULD BE SET ASIDE AND IT CAN BE METED OUT THROUGH GRANTS OR DONE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OR STATE LEVEL. SOME OF THAT SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR PRECISELY THAT REASON. THERE IS PLENTY OF TAX REVENUE TO GO AROUND AND PLENTY MORE TO COME. SOME OF THAT SHOULD BE USED MAKE A MORE EQUITABLE INDUSTRY. KAREN: YOU ARE A HUGE PROPONENT OF THE ASCEND SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAM. TELL US WHAT THAT IS ABOUT. >> IN ADDITION TO THE HIRING AND TRAINING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN MOVE FROM WORKING FOR US EITHER AS A MANAGER OR A RETAIL WORKER AND MOVE INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP OR INTO LARGER OWNERSHIP OF A CANNABIS COMPANY, WE HAVE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING A NONPROFIT THAT WILL BE SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT OF THE CANNABIS COMPANY, BUT WILL BE PARTIALLY FUNDED BY THE CANNABIS COMPANY, THAT CAN HAVE A MUCH LARGER IMPACT ON WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE INTERGENERATIONAL IMPACT OF OVER POLICING AND OVER PROSECUTION WITH REGARD TO CANNABIS. THIS NONPROFIT CAN WORK WITH PROGRAMS AND BUSINESSES IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE THE BACKBONE OF SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES AND CAN HELP SUPPORT THEM FINANCIALLY AND OTHERWISE WITH TRAINING AND OTHER PROGRAMS . WE HAVE A PROGRAM WITH THE SHERIFFS OFFICE SO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT CANDIDATES WHO ARE ABOUT TO BE RELEASED FROM THE HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH CERTAIN REENTRY PROGRAMS AND ARE VETTED FIRST BY THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, THEN REFERRED TO US, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING MANY OF THOSE FOLKS. KAREN: WE HAVE SOME STATISTICS, SOME DATA ON WHAT IS GOING ON AT ASCEND. TOTAL STAFF, 65, 60 PERCENT MALE, 38% FEMALE, THREE POINT 1% TRANSGENDER, NON-BINARY. 51.7 PERCENT BLACK, 20% LATINO, HISPANIC, 28 .3% WHITE, 10.8% LGBTQ, 3.1% VETERANS. 33.3 OVER THE AGE OF 30. MORE THAN HALF OF EMPLOYEES LIVE FIVE MILES OR LESS FROM THE STORE. 73% FULL-TIME AND 26.2% ARE PART-TIME. PRETTY GOOD DATA THERE IN TERMS OF RESULTS FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING. >> WE ARE WORKING ON IT. WE HAVE TWO MORE STORES COMING ONLINE, ONE IN NEWTON AND ONE IN BEDFORD. WE ALWAYS PROMISE TO HIRE LOCALLY AND WE DO PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY STANDARD. EQUITY IS VERY IMPORTANT IN MANY OF THESE COMMUNITIES. WE ARE RUNNING ON PARALLEL OR CONSONANT TRACKS WITH THAT. IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE A MODEL AND HIGHLIGHT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO GET EVERYONE INTO THIS INDUSTRY. KAREN: IF THERE WAS ONE THING YOU WOULD RECOMMEND TO THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TO IMPROVE ACCESS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? ANDREA: A LITTLE LESS REGULATION, LOOKING AT THE REGULATIONS AND REGULARLY REVIEWING THEM TO MAKE SURE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS NECESSARY, BUT A LOT MORE MOVEMENT AND I THINK THE COMMISSION IS DOING THIS ON THE ACCESS TO CAPITAL FRONT. KAREN: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WHEN WE RETURN, HOW THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION GIVES THE RED AND GREEN LIGHT IN OBTAININ

CityLine: Sun. May 30, 2021: Andrea Cabral, Ascend Massachusetts

Updated: 12:30 PM EDT May 30, 2021

Ascend is the first adult-use dispensary in Boston’s downtown and this newly opened cannabis shop is now the largest in New England. Andrea Cabral, CEO of Ascend Wellness Holdings Massachusetts with retail cannabis stores in Boston, Newton and New Bedford, and MassGrow, and a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing company in Athol, discusses why more women and minorities are entering the field.

Ascend is the first adult-use dispensary in Boston’s downtown and this newly opened cannabis shop is now the largest in New England. Andrea Cabral, CEO of Ascend Wellness Holdings Massachusetts with retail cannabis stores in Boston, Newton and New Bedford, and MassGrow, and a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing company in Athol, discusses why more women and minorities are entering the field.