Caroline Pineau is more than just a cannabis entrepreneur based out of Haverhill, Massachusetts. She’s also an active part of the community, and strives to lift up other women and marginalized folks in her work. This is evidenced by her work joining forces with another business owner, Caroline Frankel, to collaborate and succeed in the industry.
However, despite Pineau’s efforts to do good and make a difference, her city is demanding “impact fees” from her work with her dispensary, Stem, and from other cannabis business owners, claiming cannabis is leading to more police necessity and crime, despite the fact that there is no evidence to support that.
Pineau takes issue with this system of taxation, and is willing to take her fight all the way to the courtroom. She is suing Haverhill, fighting against the unfair impact fees. If successful, her lawsuit has the potential to impact the fee structure. High Times caught up with Pineau to discuss how she is standing up for fair business practices in Massachusetts.
Courtesy of Sarah Gates Photography
You’re known for working with other people in the industry and building bridges. How did those connections come about?
I opened Stem, and we’re women-owned and one of the first economic empowerment licenses in the state to open. I think we were technically the second, and the first woman-owned one. When I was going through the regulatory process, I became very close with another canna-sister, Caroline Frankel from Caroline’s Cannabis, who was a bit ahead of me in the licensing process. She was part of the social equity program, and I was part of the economic empowerment program.
She helped me so much with the licensing process, and we have stayed close friends. We bounce ideas off each other, and we’ …
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Author: Addison Herron-Wheeler / High Times
