MassCultivatED in The Boston Globe: What Ballot Question 8 Means for 18,000 Massachusetts Workers
In a recent Boston Globe feature by Auzzy Byrdsell, the spotlight turned to the nearly 18,000 workers across Massachusetts whose livelihoods are at risk as voters face Ballot Question 8 this November. Beyond the $10 billion in sales and $330 million in annual state tax revenue generated by the state's legal cannabis market, the piece dives deep into the human stories behind the counter—particularly workers and entrepreneurs from communities most impacted by the war on drugs who have built sustainable, long-term careers in the regulated space.
A repeal of the adult-use market would hit these workers the hardest. Ryan Dominguez, Executive Director of MassCultivatED and founder of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, warned of the immediate fallout if Question 8 passes, anticipating a "windfall of folks who are going to be losing their jobs and filing for unemployment." Frontline leaders across Boston echoed those concerns. Megan Hansen, director of operations at Firebrand Cannabis in downtown Boston, emphasized that many workers face persistent hiring discrimination in traditional job markets due to past records, leaving them with no viable back-up plan. At Seed in Jamaica Plain, senior concierge Angel Ferrer shared how landing a job in cannabis transformed his trajectory after being arrested for possession as a teenager, calling the community and stability he found irreplaceable.
MassCultivatED’s own Tatiana Fridkes was also featured, highlighting the critical role that free workforce training and Responsible Vendor Training (RVT) certifications play in creating legitimate career pathways for justice-impacted individuals. Speaking to the reality on the ground, Fridkes noted that repealing legal sales would only fuel the illicit market while forcing thousands of qualified professionals to compete for scarce opportunities: "It would be way too many of us competing for the very small market." As the Commonwealth prepares to vote, MassCultivatED remains committed to protecting fair-chance employment, economic equity, and the families who rely on this industry every day.
Read the full story on The Boston Globe: Nearly 18,000 people work in Mass. marijuana industry. What happens if the repeal ballot question passes? (Subscription may be required)