Talking Joints Memo sources and writers predict what’s coming for stakeholders, consumers, social consumption, business, products, culture, and the Cannabis Control Commission
In order to glimpse the wide cannabis horizon looming over the Bay State and beyond in 2025, you’ll want to start with one or all of our features looking back on the year that just passed. While some new issues will crop up, we haven’t seen the last of sagas like the fight between former Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien and state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, or of developing stories concerning topics like lab shopping and social consumption.
Our team at Talking Joints Memo has lots of ideas about what this new year will deliver, and we also solicited input from sources and industry stakeholders. Specifically, we asked them, What is a somewhat minor trend or event that you see coming in 2025 that other people might not know too much about? And, What story do you see shaping up to be the biggest thing in Massachusetts cannabis in 2025? And what shape do you see it taking from your perspective?
You can find their responses woven into our compendium crystal ball preview below …
The Cannabis Control Commission
Coming out of what was largely perceived as a turbulent year in many regards, which featured Mass Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro launching a public campaign calling for the agency to be put into receivership, the CCC is definitely looking better now than it has in months. They’re finally hashing out regulations for social consumption, and even hired a new executive director, Travis Ahern, after a painful yearlong search.
Wins aside, and there were some others too, the body’s critics and problems are still quite plentiful, while staffers and appointed members alike have a tough road ahead. In that vein, one Mass cannabis badgeholder says, “The CCC’s continued issues and confusion will most likely dominate 2025.” While Mike Fantasia of Cannabis Management Solutions predicts nothing less than the “fall of the Massachusetts CCC.”
A lawsuit over Massachusetts cannabis lab testing
As for one of the biggest problems that the CCC is facing … As things stand now, the commission is moving toward limiting the extent to which companies can manipulate the results of tests for potency and contaminants, but appears to be falling short of putting all the stopgaps people have requested in place. This issue isn’t going away, and Carl Giannone of Trade Roots tells Talking Joints Memo that “class action attorneys are building cases against operators who are guilty of egregious potency inflation.”
While Giannone forecasts that “more stories will break about testing—both potency and microbial testing fraud—in Massachusetts,” Yasha Kahn of MCR Labs, a leading figure in the testing lab wars, observes, “A ‘market for lemons’ has been created in the cannabis industry as regulators have not addressed the major issue of product mislabeling. This has led to a continued decrease in the price per gram, product quality, and industry profitability. As such, an industry referred to as the green rush a few years ago is now struggling.”
Kahn continues, “The sale of contaminated products, the failure of an industry that had high potential, and the inaction of government officials will be the theme of many [upcoming] news stories. … Many cannabis businesses will shut down in 2025. If regulators address the problems, dishonest businesses will shut down. If inaction continues, honest businesses will close their doors.”
The Massachusetts cannabis business and retail horizon
Nathan Girard of Bloom Brothers breaks down the current landscape: “With the recent closings of Rev Clinics, Verano, and others in a matter of weeks, Massachusetts is shaping up to be a tough market to be part of unless you are a bottom-line operator.”
Also one of the founders of CannaVersions and Lit Alerts, the latter of which tracks industry activity, Girard continues, “You have to be profitable to survive here with the market dynamics of everyone finding themselves in a race to the bottom of pricing and wholesale selling. … Mass has some amazing genetics and is doing billions of dollars in sales—the consumers are there … we just have to figure out how to come together and make the industry as a whole a better place for everyone to be a successful part of it.”
As for what companies can do on their own, Girard says, “I hope 2025 is where brands, retailers, cultivators, and manufacturers smarten up and start making data-driven decisions that will only positively impact their [businesses].”
For Nico La Guerre-Mercury of Temple Hill Collective, the key at this point is to achieve “true consumer brand recognition.” He says, “The Massachusetts market is starting to learn what’s good, what’s bad, and why. I’ve seen more knowledge from consumers on things like small-batch brands, supporting local businesses and brands they prefer. Solidifying your brand within the space before the next SKU cycle is as important as it was when flower collapsed in price. These days people have answers if you ask them, What is your favorite cannabis brand? I believe this is a great thing, as the race to the bottom slows when people stop to look at the details.”
Improvements in two kinds of cannabis “culture”
First, there is the culture of cannabis, as in the habits and developing traditions of the people who consume. In that regard, Holly Alberti of Holla Mgmt hopes “to see a shift to more conscious consumption of cannabis, a ‘know your grow’ mentally from the consumer’s perspective.” Like La Guerre-Mercury, she expects more people to want “to know more about the company growing the weed they are smoking, how flower is cultivated, who is growing the flower behind the brand on the bag, what their business practices are like, [and] what type of remediation is occurring if any.”
“Similar to food, if you know your farmer, how they grow their crops or treat their animals, and how they participate in their community and industry—you can choose to purchase from those farmers that do good,” Alberti says. “If consumers start using their dollars to support the brands that do good in cannabis, growing and processing their crop, and are doing good for their employees, and in their community, and in the industry—imagine what this market would look like. Imagine, they may say I’m a dreamer.”
And then there is the other kind of culture—tissue culture. Here’s Jeff Barton of Bountiful Farms on that pride point: “We were one of the first growers in Massachusetts to open a tissue culture lab, which we’ve been working on at our cultivation in Lakeville. Our team studied for over a year-and-a-half to learn the art and science behind tissue culture with the goal of genetic preservation and creating an ideal growing environment for our plants—making them healthier, stronger, and free from disease. We will continue to work with this biotechnology and look forward to new advancements in 2025.”
What products Massachusetts cannabis consumers will see in 2025
Massachusetts cannabis sales data points to more of the same—people loving prerolls, flower, all that predictable stuff—but also indicates some interesting changes, like the increasing popularity of melts and other high-potency products. For more nuance, we turned to the experts …
Mike Fantasia of Cannabis Management Solutions sees “concentrates becom[ing] more and more popular.” Part of this will be driven by new dab tech like the DabGo and DabPods he’s working with that enable dabbing “without the upfront commitment to purchasing a rig, torch, etc.”
Derek D’Ambrosio of Packs and Erva also sees increased activity in concentrates, though he emphasizes yet another sub-niche: hash. “We were the first to bring temple ball hash to the Massachusetts market,” he says of Erva, “and it’s been exciting to see a few other brands jump into this space. Competition here is great for customers—it pushes everyone to improve quality and keeps prices fair.”
D’Ambrosio also sees a bright future for hand-rolled prerolls—“These have become incredibly popular because they showcase craftsmanship and quality, and they’re a hit with customers who appreciate the extra effort”—and in general predicts “market corrections.” “I think we’ll see some greedy operators who are only in this for the money start to fade out,” he says. “The reality is, if you’re not delivering value or innovating, there’s no room for you in this industry.”
Also on the neatness tip, Barton of Bountiful Farms shouts out live rosin vapes, noting their “steady growth in 2024”—“as opposed to distillate.” He continued, “We expect that trend to accelerate as more consumers become aware of this alternative and understand the inherent benefits of rosin, which offers more of a full body effect and is produced cleanly without the use of hydro-carbons or other chemicals.”
On the liquid side of things, Emilie Koza of Good Feels says they will continue “to push the limits with our 1,000mg tinctures,” with “other companies following suit.” She adds, “Brands are gaining more confidence, and consumers are just happy to see more affordable products becoming widely available in Massachusetts, with 500mg and 1,000mg options now being more accessible. This shift brings relief and satisfaction to consumers who need higher-dose products or larger quantities at a more affordable price. Let’s face it, cannabis is not a one-size-fits-all product, and offering a variety of options is key to meeting the needs of a diverse consumer base.”
And of course there will be social consumption … hopefully …
We’ve already written plenty about the advent of cannabis bars, lounges, bowling alleys, and whatever else people can dream up. Here’s what some other people have to say …
Mike Whittaker of The Weedaker Group paints a picture of “the rise of licensed social consumption and the potential downfall of unlicensed events.” He tells TJM, “As social consumption regulations are approaching, I fear that many of the consumption events we have grown to love will be put on pause or potentially ended until the organizers can figure out the regulations and how to maneuver in this new landscape.”
Don’t worry though, Whittaker says his group’s beloved That ?arty “will continue.” He continues, “The biggest thing in 2025 is going to be social consumption. With draft regulations approaching and people like myself patiently waiting, I am confident that we will see the first of these licenses roll out … and we will finally see what ‘legal’ social consumption looks like in Mass. But I can’t imagine it will be much different than what we currently see, just some more red tape to get through for implementing the logistics with participating brands and products and how we roll out the guest experience.”
D’Ambrosio of Packs and Erva suspects that the “rollout of social consumption lounges will be a game-changer. These spaces will give consumers a safe, regulated place to enjoy cannabis while fostering community and connection. … I see this as a big step forward for how people experience cannabis in Massachusetts
Alberti of Holla Mgmt sees social consumption as a logical progression, as “we are starting to see more customer-facing activities and events, like yoga [and] hiking and combining this with weed.” “This is not a new concept at all,” she says, “and has been happening for years,” but in 2025, “we’ll see more, and a crossover will start to occur.”
