Northeast Alternatives Withdraws from Massachusetts Commonwealth Dispensary Association Over Lawsuit

Northeast Alternatives (NEA) leadership team released this statement Sunday, January 24, in regards to their decision to withdraw from the Massachusetts Commonwealth Dispensary Association over its lawsuit with the Cannabis Control Commission:

NEA disagrees wholeheartedly with the decision made by the Commonwealth Dispensary Association to sue the Cannabis Control Commission.

For decades, the war on drugs has disproportionately changed life trajectories for people of color in America. The cannabis policy in the United States, as well as the broader war on drugs, has undeniably racist roots. Over the past several years we have seen states and municipalities pass legalization reforms in an effort to reign in alarming arrest numbers and lower incarceration rates.

While the cannabis industry as a whole has taken steps in the right direction, it’s time for states, municipalities and dispensaries to work together to implement effective policies that create lasting ownership opportunities for people of color and people with past cannabis convictions.

Since our inception, Northeast Alternatives has strongly supported social equity programs in the cannabis industry and has always behaved, and openly stood as a supporter of diversity, equity and inclusion. NEA believes that actions always speak louder than words. With pride, we have built a business founded on the principles of fairness, inclusion and integrity.

We believe we must act for social equity and economic empowerment. Furthermore, we believe that to enable a fair and equitable cannabis industry we must stand up for what we believe in. Given the recent lawsuit by the Commonwealth Dispensary Association, we have decided to resign in order to stay true to our NEA values.

About Northeast Alternatives:

Northeast Alternatives is a vertically-integrated cannabis dispensary serving adult-use and medical customers since 2018. Located in Fall River, Massachusetts, Northeast Alternatives is dedicated to providing a variety of high-quality cannabis products, including flower, edibles, concentrates and topicals to adult users 21+. Learn more about our products and our commitment to excellence here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005656/en/