NJ’s Cannabis Tax: Where is the Money Actually Going?

#NJCannabis #SocialEquity #TaxTransparency #NewJersey #FollowTheMoney

KMi is delighted to share that Dr Tracie Farrell and Dr R. Justin Hunt have secured £450k to continue groundbreaking work on AI and social justice.

👉 blog.stem.open.ac.uk/open-univers...

#AIJustice #ResearchFunding #ArtificialIntelligence #SocialEquity

Policies developed without the people they affect will always miss the mark. Mental health, equity, and inclusion are important conversations that must happen to put lived experience at the center.

#MentalHealth #SocialEquity #InclusionMatters

Mass. committee hears competing testimony on ballot petition to repeal adult-use cannabis law (H.5002) A special joint legislative committee heard expert, proponent and industry testimony on initiative petition 2510 (H.5002), which would roll back Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis laws; witnesses disputed public-health data and clashed over economic and social-equity consequences.

Massachusetts is at a crossroads as a special committee hears passionate arguments for and against a ballot petition that could reshape the state’s cannabis laws forever.

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#MA #CitizenPortal #PublicHealth #EconomicImpact #SocialEquity

From stormwater management to sustainable material selection, the decisions we make shape not only buildings, but the communities that surround them. True resilience means protecting both people and ecosystems, ensuring that water is safe, accessible, and abundant for everyone. #Water #socialequity

“Can we design a building that, like a tree, produces more energy than it consumes and purifies its own water?” asked William McDonough. On International Day of Forests, we ask: what could our communities and portfolios become if they grew more like forests? #socialequity #embodiedcarbon

The economy doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. If we guarantee a vital minimum for everyone and establish a rational maximum for accumulation, we narrow the inequality gap. Justice by design.
#prout #EconomicJustice #WealthDistribution #SystemChange #socialequity #FairEconomy

How can it be success if a few accumulate everything while the rest stagnate? Dynamic Adjustment proposes that everyone’s floor rises and the gap narrows by law. It’s time for real balance.
#EconomicJustice #prout #socialequity #wealthgap #SystemChange

"A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis" "A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis"

affordabletravelbookstorereadact.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-z-... "A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis" #civicempowerment #ClimateJustice #community-ledsolutions
#socialequity #systemicchange #renewableenergy

"A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis" "A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis" A ‘powerful’ (‘50501’) A–Z guide with real-world solutions

trumpsauthoritarianassault.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-z-... "A-Z of Hope: People-Powered Solutions to the Cost of Living Climate Crisis" #civicempowerment #ClimateJustice #community-ledsolutions
#socialequity #systemicchange #renewableenergy

Senate committee recommends sending bill to floor to rename Minnesotas community solar program for Melissa Hortman The Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee voted March 9 to recommend passage of Senate File 3800, which would rename the Minnesota Community Solar Garden Program for late Rep. Melissa Hortman; supporters said Hortmans work launched Minnesotas community solar industry and cited program metrics showing broad low-income participation.

Minnesota's Senate is set to honor late Rep. Melissa Hortman by renaming the Community Solar Garden program, a cornerstone of the state's flourishing solar market!

Learn more here

#MN #CitizenPortal #ClimateAction #MinnesotaCommunitySolar #RenewableEnergy #SocialEquity

What Would Really Happen If Billionaires Gave Away Their Wealth — or If We Taxed and Regulated Them Differently? - Interconnected Earth What would happen if the world’s richest people gave away most of their fortunes, faced higher taxes, or experienced real consequences?

Extreme wealth shapes politics, media, access, and opportunity.

What if we challenged that by changing tax rules, enforcing real consequences for financial crime, and building systems that reward fairness over fortune?

buff.ly/IjoSbOj

#TaxTheRich #FairEconomy #SystemicChange #SocialEquity

King County committee examines three I&I policy paths as staff warns private property drives most of the problem On March 4, staff briefed the Regional Wastewater Quality Committee on the RWSP update’s I&I (infiltration and inflow) policy memos and three options: maintain current practice, target incentives in high‑I&I areas, or impose systemwide flow limits with penalties. Members pressed staff for a fuller cost–benefit analysis that includes treatment and O&M costs.

King County is grappling with a costly issue as excessive private property infiltration and inflow into the sewer system could lead to $1.7 billion in necessary upgrades.

Get the details!

#KingCounty #WA #CitizenPortal #EnvironmentalPolicy #InfrastructureInvestment #SocialEquity

(3/3) #WomenInPublicService #WomenInPolicy #WomenInAcademia #WomenScholars #WomenAdvocates #EquityInAction #EquityCenteredPolicy #InclusiveGovernance #RepresentationMatters #LeadershipMatters #IntersectionalFeminism #SocialEquity #WomenChangemakers #WomenInResearch #PublicService

Mental health is shaped by systems, not just individual experiences.

Equity and inclusion are protective factors, not add-ons.

#MentalHealth #SocialEquity #Wellbeing

Sponsors seek clarity for cannabis advertising rules; public‑health groups urge keeping strict youth protections SB 594 would ease some advertising limits for licensed cannabis dispensaries — directional signage, limited exterior signage, clearer therapeutic‑claim rules and an 85% adult audience floor — to help social‑equity and small operators; industry supporters called for specificity, regulators and public‑health groups warned changes could weaken protections against youth exposure and implicit medical claims.

Maryland's SB 594 could reshape cannabis advertising by easing restrictions, but public health advocates warn it might expose minors to misleading claims.

Get the details!

#MD #YouthProtection #MarylandCannabis #PublicHealth #CitizenPortal #SocialEquity

New Department of Social and Economic Mobility outlines priorities and explains CRF allocation formula Acting Secretary Walter Simmons told the subcommittee DOSM’s fiscal 2027 budget supports three consolidated offices and record minority-business payments; the department explained the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund (CRF) formula used a 2010–2022 average of cannabis possession charges and targeted jurisdictions at 150% of the state average.

The newly formed Department of Social and Economic Mobility is making waves with a $20.8 million budget aimed at uplifting communities hit hardest by cannabis enforcement.

Learn more here!

#MD #MarylandCommunity #CitizenPortal #EconomicMobility #CommunityReinvestment #SocialEquity

MCA pushes to keep $5M incubator appropriation as DLS urges pause pending site selection DLS recommended reducing a $5 million FY2026 appropriation for the state cannabis incubator because the previously selected site is no longer viable; MCA Director Tabitha Robinson said the incubator is actively advancing through site shortlisting and due diligence and warned that removing funds would slow execution.

Maryland's cannabis incubator initiative is at a critical crossroads as funding hangs in the balance, with officials warning that cuts could derail its momentum.

Get the details!

#MD #CommunityEngagement #MarylandCannabis #CitizenPortal #EconomicDevelopment #SocialEquity

From evidence to equity

ICBSSR 2026 is a global platform for research on social justice, discrimination, governance, mental health, and inclusive futures.

🗓️ March 23–24, 2026
📍 Rome, Italy | Hybrid

🔗 icbssr.com

#BehavioralScience #SocialEquity

Joint committee hears extensive testimony on S.278 as growers, retailers and health officials clash over potency, access and equity A joint hearing on S.278 drew testimony from growers, retailers, the Land Access and Opportunity Board, health officials and patients over proposed changes to THC and package limits, purchase limits, excise tax, direct sales/delivery and a $5.6M LAOB appropriation, with sharp disagreements on public‑health and market impacts.

Tensions rise in Vermont as lawmakers debate S.278, a pivotal bill that could reshape cannabis regulations and impact local growers, retailers, and public health.

Learn more here!

#VT #VermontCannabis #CitizenPortal #PublicHealth #EconomicDevelopment #SocialEquity

Bulldozers shape a capital for elites, while the working class faces eviction, erasure, and exclusion in the name of progress.
By Abdul Ghaffar Bugti

Read more: thefridaytimes.com/12-Feb-2026/...

#Islamabad #HousingCrisis #Politics #UrbanJustice #CDA #KatchiAbadi #InclusiveCities #SocialEquity

Springfield committee advances measure to expand cannabis business and housing grants, allow direct payments The Committee of the Whole placed an ordinance on debate to expand eligibility and permit direct vendor payments in Springfield's cannabis business and housing grant programs, aiming to ease access for social-equity applicants; aldermen and public commenters urged focus on historically impacted neighborhoods.

Springfield is taking a bold step to expand its cannabis grant programs, making them more accessible and equitable for local businesses and homeowners!

Learn more here

#SpringfieldSangamonCounty #IL #SpringfieldCannabis #CitizenPortal #CommunityRevitalization #SocialEquity

Committee hears bipartisan push to raise exemptions, index them to inflation LB871 would raise homestead, wage garnishment and other exemption amounts and include automatic indexing; sponsors and Legal Aid said the changes would protect families facing medical debt and bankruptcy.

Senator Danielle Conrad is leading a bipartisan effort to modernize Nebraska’s exemption laws, aiming to protect low-income families from the burdens of medical debt with automatic inflation indexing.

Learn more here!

#NE #EconomicStability #LegalReform #CitizenPortal #SocialEquity

Malaysia’s Income Gap Continues to Narrow as Government Adopts Broader Inequality Measures KUALA LUMPUR: Income inequality in Malaysia is continuing on a downward trend, supported by comprehensive monitoring using multiple economic and social indicators, Deputy Economy Minister Mohd Shahar Abdullah said. He noted that findings from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) Report 2024 showed the country’s Gini coefficient improved to 0.390 in 2024 from 0.404 …

Malaysia’s Income Gap Continues to Narrow as Government Adopts Broader Inequality Measures #IncomeInequality #Malaysia #EconomicGrowth #SocialEquity #GiniCoefficient

Cannabis Control Board seeks larger state appropriation to cover lab startup and staffing The Cannabis Control Board told the Senate Appropriations Committee Jan. 30 that a newly activated testing lab and expanded operating needs push its FY27 budget request above prior years, asking roughly two-thirds from the general fund and about $2.5 million from the cannabis regulations fund.

The Cannabis Control Board is pushing for increased state funding to support a newly activated testing lab, crucial for ensuring quality and compliance in Vermont's burgeoning cannabis market.

Get the details!

#VT #CitizenPortal #VermontCannabis #EnvironmentalStewardship #SocialEquity

Maryland Cannabis Administration defends incubator funding amid market shifts The MCA recommended keeping a $5 million FY27 appropriation for a state‑run cannabis incubator and described a drop in overall licenses, rising retail sales, the first social‑equity licensing round, and enforcement challenges from illicit sellers.

The Maryland Cannabis Administration is battling budget cuts while pushing for a $5 million incubator project, all amidst a booming retail market and rising enforcement challenges.

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#MD #MarketRegulation #EconomicDevelopment #MarylandCannabis #SocialEquity #CitizenPortal

Home‑grow bill divides committee as supporters cite equity and opponents warn of enforcement and youth access SB 6204 would authorize home cultivation of cannabis (6 plants per resident, max 15 per household) and create civil and felony penalties for exceeding limits; witnesses ranged from equity and industry advocates in favor to law‑enforcement and public‑health groups opposing the change and raising enforcement concerns.

A new bill in Washington could allow adults to grow their own cannabis at home, sparking intense debate over equity and public safety.

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#WA #PublicSafety #SocialEquity #CitizenPortal #CivicAccountability

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Jebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, announced on X the removal of taxes affecting tourism in Lebanon, emphasizing the need for accessible winter sports for all, highlighting concerns about social equity in governmental policies.

#Lebanon #Tourism #SocialEquity

Confused by cannabis regulations and equity policies? ⚖️ Khalil Ferguson, a legal expert and cannabis consultant, specializes in policy development and compliance. Let him help you navigate the industry. Learn more at launchindustries.biz/team.

#CannabisCompliance #SocialEquity #RegulatorySupport

Neighbors raise concerns as cannabis operator eyes former Hollywood wood‑treating site; appeals hearing expected A proposed cannabis operation at the former Hollywood wood‑treating (creosote) Superfund site prompted neighbor concern and a planned board of appeals hearing; an unidentified speaker also flagged a county Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund of about $1.2 million that officials say is awaiting Office of Social Equity guidance.

Residents are raising alarms over plans to turn a former Superfund site into a cannabis facility, with potential implications for community funding and social equity.

Get the details!

#County #MD #CommunityEngagement #PublicHealth #StMarysCountyCannabis #SocialEquity #CitizenPortal