Battenfeld: Hashish fee affected by severe case of the munchies

Corruption. Inside turmoil. Lack of accountability. Hackery. Now it seems staffers on the beleaguered Hashish Management Fee are getting a severe case of the munchies.

The Herald has been spotlighting the free-spending methods of Massachusetts state authorities over the previous couple of weeks, and data present the comparatively new CCC is working like some other state company in Massachusetts.

The CCC paid for tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in journey, meals and catering expenditures over the past 12 months, together with quick meals joints like Jimmy John’s and Panera, in keeping with data obtained from the Herald’s public data request.

The troubled CCC – accountable for growing and implementing laws over the pot trade – was additionally spotlighted in a damning report from the state Auditor final week, exhibiting mismanagement, violation of state laws and procedural inequities.

It might be time for Massachusetts to rethink its complete hashish trade regulation.

A number of years after legalizing leisure hashish, what’s Massachusetts left with aside from a whole bunch of tens of millions in tax income and a lingering air of pot on the streets that wasn’t there earlier than?

Talking of odors, the CCC shelled out $2,530 to a cigar retailer on “lab equipment used for enforcement,” in keeping with the CCC, $893 to Panera, $844 to Vincent’s Pizza and a complete of almost $300 to Jimmy John’s sub retailer, in keeping with data.

The company additionally paid for separate expenses of $3,304 and $2,926 from Luciano’s Banquet for “staff development events,” in keeping with a CCC spokesman.

The CCC additionally paid $2,369 to lease out The Vault Operate Corridor in Lawrence, in keeping with a file of expenses on the company’s “P-card.” The corridor was utilized by the Fee’s Fairness Programming and Group Outreach Improvement Division for “constituent training,” in keeping with a CCC spokesperson.

“Steeped in elegance and charm, The Vault’s lavish interiors evoke a sense of timeless beauty,” the Vault’s web site says. “From meticulously crafted details to bespoke furnishings, every element has been curated to provide an atmosphere of refined opulence.”

Is that this what the legislation supposed?

“The Commission exercises tight fiscal controls over P-Card use and purchases in general,” a Fee spokesperson mentioned. “Commission policy requires purchase requests to be approved by an employee’s supervisor and the Chief Financial and Accounting Officer. All purchases above $10,000 must be approved by the executive director.”

Underneath state legislation, the CCC will get its annual finances from the Marijuana Regulation Fund, which generates income from licensing charges, fines and tax income.

However Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s audit revealed a severe sample of mismanagement.

“Our audit identified a number of issues that undermine and negatively impact the Cannabis Control Commission’s mission to equitably and effectively oversee the cannabis industry in Massachusetts,” DiZoglio mentioned.

And the CCC oversees severe cash. Along with the tens of millions in gross sales, the fee has been shelling out $500,000 “social equity” grants, like one to a Haverhill dispensary not too long ago.

However the hashish trade has been struggling currently, with too many pot retailers opening and never sufficient regulation to maintain up.

As well as, the legalization of marijuana has opened up an entire new stage of corruption in Massachusetts state authorities.

Sheriff Steve Tompkins was indicted not too long ago for allegedly attempting to extort a Boston hashish govt by demanding a $50,000 “pre-equity interest” within the hashish firm proper earlier than it went public with an IPO, in keeping with U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley’s workplace.

But, the pot board simply retains rolling.