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Berkshires' First Retail Marijuana Store Launches Social Equity Program

The Theory Wellness logo

Today, Silver Therapeutics in Williamstown, Massachusetts becomes Northern Berkshire County's first recreational marijuana retailer. It's the fourth store of its kind in the county. Down in Great Barrington, the county's first such store — Theory Wellness — is making a new move of its own. CEO Brandon Pollock says the company is launching a social equity program that will sponsor people trying to get into the marijuana business after being “disproportionately impacted by high rates of arrest and incarceration for cannabis-related crimes," specifically, Black and Latino populations. It's part of a larger undertaking by the state's Cannabis Control Commission, which has made building social equity a part of its mission. Pollock spoke with WAMC about what inspired the move and how much money Theory will be investing in the program.

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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