NETA Announces Security Equipment Grant Program to Reduce Financial Barriers for Economic Empowerment and Social Equity Cannabis Businesses

FRANKLIN, Mass., Nov. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — PRESS RELEASE — New England Treatment Access (NETA), a division of the privately-held, multi-state cannabis company Parallel and a cannabis operator in Massachusetts, has announced the launch of the first Security Equipment Grant Program designed to help reduce barriers to entry in the state’s cannabis industry for certified social equity and economic empowerment applicants.

The Security Equipment Grant Program will award $25,000 to two Economic Empowerment and/or Social Equity cannabis licensees to be used toward the purchase of compliant security equipment for their operations. Applicants must be provisionally licensed by the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) to qualify.

The application can be found on the NETA website and will be accepted starting Nov. 23.

“We are excited to offer financial support to two certified social equity or economic empowerment cannabis operators through this new Security Equipment Grant Program. In introducing this program, our intent is to help lower the cost and complexity barriers that come with sourcing and installing security equipment for new cannabis operators,” said Kim Napoli, Sr. Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Affairs for Parallel. “This grant program, in addition to other work we have done to support social equity and through our NETA Cares initiatives, is a sign of our commitment to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry in Massachusetts and all our markets.”

A team from NETA will review each application. The dollar amounts each awardee will receive will depend on the needs outlined in the application. The committee may decide to grant all monies or a portion of the requested funds each year, depending on the applicants’ requests.