“Repealing the regulated system will not stop cannabis use—it will simply push it back into the illicit market, where none of those safeguards exist.”
As Massachusetts marijuana opponents and advocates alike have come to realize these past few months, slotting a referendum in this state is onerous business.
In addition to having to collect tens of thousands of signatures outside of grocery stores, holding people hostage when they’re just trying to quickly grab some produce, an official campaign committee must file significant paperwork and clear multiple legal and bureaucratic hurdles.
One such step in the manifold initiative grind unfolded this Monday. On Beacon Hill, Mass lawmakers held the required hearing for the proposal to repeal adult-use cannabis in the commonwealth. Put simply, legislators have a chance to pass comparable legislation ahead of a question hitting the actual ballot.
If elected officials don’t act, and it’s unlikely that they will in this matter, the proponents of the prohibitionist measure have to submit fewer than 13,000 additional signatures by July 1. That won’t be hard for a campaign that deployed demonstrably deceitful tactics in order to advance this far in the process.
We’re all over the story. You know this. But since it’s probable at this point that the deceptively named Act To Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policywill appear on the statewide ballot in November, we’re more focused on the campaign’s opponents—and what they have to say—than on the infinite and endless lies pushed by the speciously monikered Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts.
And so while we will certainly lampoon its rusty toxic cast of gremlins for so many fabrications, we’re also amplifying the voices of reason. Like the testimony below from this week’s hearing formality by Levia Co-Founder & CEO Kristin Rogers. (Also read the testimony of Dr. Jeff Rawson, president of the Institute of Cannabis Science, here). -TJM Editor Chris Faraone
Testimony of Kristin Rogers
Good afternoon, Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Kristin Rogers. I am a mother of 3, a behavioral and substance abuse therapist, and the CEO, co-founder, and majority owner of the only female-owned cannabis beverage manufacturer in the United States. I was born, raised, and educated in Massachusetts, where I earned two master’s degrees and have built both my career and our business.
My husband and I started Levia in February 2017 with a vision of creating a product rooted in wellness. Cannabis is an incredible plant—but this has never been just about the product for me—it’s about the 17 full-time employees we support, our more than 350 retail and vendor partners across Massachusetts-90% of our non-cannabis vendors are Massachusetts-based-and a deep commitment to justice.
We take great pride in the diversity of our team. We proudly seek out, employ, and support our veteran community. 41% of our team are women—and they aren’t sitting at a computer-these women are driving forklifts, our delivery trucks, running operations, running logistics, and leading on the ground every single day. Every full-time employee has been with us for at least three years. Our management team has been here since our first year in business. Our entire full-time workforce are equity holders, because we believe this industry should create shared opportunities.
We are deeply committed to our community. We are honored to be anchored in Georgetown, a small Massachusetts community that has embraced us. We have used our delivery trucks on many occasions to deliver food to shelters, support clothing drives, and help move large furniture for community partners across Massachusetts. We personally seek out “boots on the ground” nonprofits across the Commonwealth when we donate financially, ensuring that our contributions go directly to the people who need it most.
I’ve personally participated in countless expungement events and job fairs. We work to show communities that have been hit hardest by the war on drugs that there is a real future in this legal industry. Legal Cannabis isn’t just about opportunity—it’s about justice. That means helping people who have spent time in jail, or who come from communities that—through no fault of their own—have been generationally decimated, understand that there are real career paths here, whether in human resources, operations, logistics, real estate, marketing, sales, finance, facilities management-and so much more.
We work hard to support efforts to increase funding for cannabis research, because this industry was meant to be built responsibly, equitably, with real impact, and data. We actively support Massachusetts social equity programs-not just by showing up, but by offering expertise, operational support, and co-packing opportunities to help other operators succeed.
Our mission is to build an industry that creates pathways for the people most impacted—because without that, we’re not delivering justice, we’re repeating the past.
We are equally committed to product integrity and safety. We are proudly Kosher certified. All of our products are made with all-natural ingredients. We produce our own cannabis oil- using flower sourced from Massachusetts cultivators. We utilize supercritical CO₂ extraction, which is considered one of the cleanest methods available, effectively solventless, and designed to preserve the full spectrum of the plant.
Cannabis is not just about THC—there are hundreds of cannabinoids, most of which are non-psychoactive and contribute to a more balanced, wellness-focused experience. By the time our products reach dispensary shelves, they have been tested three separate times-once at the flower stage, once as oil, and again as a finished product-to ensure safety and consistency.
I am here today to respectfully oppose Initiative Petition 25-10.
This proposal would repeal the laws that legalized and regulate adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts, dismantling the framework that ensures product safety, accountability, and economic opportunity.
Since 2021, Levia has been the number one selling cannabis beverage in Massachusetts. From our small facility in Georgetown, Levia has contributed more than $20 million dollars in state and retail tax revenue to the Massachusetts economy-an amount that is still small in comparison to the broader impact of like-minded cannabis businesses across the Commonwealth.
Massachusetts voters chose a regulated system over prohibition. That system protects consumers, creates jobs, and holds businesses accountable. Repealing it will not stop cannabis use-it will simply push it back into the illicit market, where none of those safeguards exist.
The choice before us is NOT “cannabis or no cannabis”—the voters have already answered that. The choice is whether it exists in a regulated system that protects people, or an unregulated one that does not.
I respectfully urge you to protect the system that Massachusetts has worked so hard to build.
Thank you for your time.
