Cannabis Control Commission Executive Director gives updates on the licensing freeze, implementation of new laws, and advertising changes
Prior to state lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey passing a bill to change countless aspects of the Massachusetts marijuana industry last month, things seemed to be going relatively smooth for the Cannabis Control Commission. With Chair Shannon O’Brien back from a headline hiatus and Executive Director Travis Ahern in place for more than a year, the agency has made demonstrable progress of late—from finalizing social consumption rules, to tackling a list of “red tape” issues.
With the Beacon Hill overhaul forcing out the current four CCC board members, the agency is currently stuck waiting on the governor’s three new appointments. By law, the commissioners have to be named within 30 days of the bill getting signed, which gives her until May 19. In the meantime, day-to-day work continues, and commission staffers from enforcement to the legal office are processing renewals and answering calls. Many final decisions, however, like whether to approve changes of ownership, will have to wait for the new members to vote on.
We spoke with Ahern about all of the above and more, and to ascertain where things generally stand at the agency. While the executive director has been frank about their serious budgetary limitations, which will be exacerbated by the added workloads tied to regulating social consumption businesses, he’s also confident that the incoming class can pick up where the outgoing commissioners left off.
Onboarding the new commissioners
It’s no surprise that people at the CCC are unfazed by the likely possibility of having to bring three new leaders up to speed (it could be fewer if the governor reappoints one or more of the old commissioners).
After all, the Worcester office has had significant turnover for years. “The commission is ready to welcome its next three commissioners and has capably onboarded new board members many times in the past,” Ahern told Talking Joints Memo.
The ED added: “That includes in 2025, when a brand-new commissioner was appointed in the midst of writing social consumption regulations, and in 2020-2021, when four new commissioners arrived at the agency over nine months.”
The licensing freeze
In one of their final acts, the former four commission members greenlit a cultivation licensing pause set to begin on June 16 and last for an initial period of 120 days. The stated reason: “based on its assessment of current market conditions and the need to support a stable and sustainable regulated marijuana market.”
The suspension “shall not apply to applications already submitted to the Commission as of June 16,” or “to Microbusiness license applications submitted by eligible Social Equity Program (SEP) Participants or Economic Empowerment Applicants (EEA).”
Based on the motion language, the incoming board could choose to extend or end the pause at the end of four months. Additionally, the board could opt to alter the start date of the freeze or even kill it entirely.
Implementing the rest of the many things
Technically, per the letter of the new law, the CCC has 60 days from April 19 to implement a long and complicated list of changes, from the aforementioned restructuring of the board, to “modernizing” license caps, to “boosting public accountability requirements.” For the latter, the legislation “requires the CCC to prepare new reports regarding the public health impacts of cannabis and the cannabis excise tax rate.”
Realistically, the agency will not be able to get all of that work done in just two months. With that considered, the CCC is in communication with state lawmakers, including from the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy, about prioritizing certain elements and implementing related aspects in different packages. First up: beginning the process to accept applications under the updated licensing ownership threshold framework in the coming weeks.
According to legislators: “The bill encourages cannabis business ownership and economic development by allowing licensees to hold six licenses, an increase from the current limit of three. … The bill [also] provides added flexibility by raising the threshold — from 10 per cent to 20 per cent — of how much equity in a business is considered ownership for the purpose of counting toward the cap on the number of licenses someone can hold.”
Once the next board arrives, the commission is supposed to hold a public meeting, followed by a public hearing. After that, they can re-open the regulations (for a third time this year) to review the amendments called for under the new statute.
Advertising changes
Regarding advertising rule adjustments, Ahern said, “Commission investigators spend a significant amount of time working with licensees to ensure compliance with the current advertising regulations, and those violations are one of the concerns the industry identified during the agency’s Red Tape Removal Committee meeting.”
He added: “We’re looking forward to clarifying and simplifying those rules in line with the statute and pivoting agency resources to address other, more urgent public health and safety issues in the marketplace.”
The longer term
The amount of work on the CCC’s plate is dizzying. In addition to everything else mentioned herein, the commission will eventually have to process loads of license applications and transfers related to the removal of the medical marijuana vertical integration requirement, which also comes with the new law.
Furthermore, the agency has to create a “delinquent” licensees list to identify businesses that have not paid their debts to other businesses for more than 60 days, clarify how seeds are bought and sold, and review policies around workplace safety and testing.
Touting the agency’s ability to execute, Ahern pointed to his comment from an April 19 media release: “The Commission has capably integrated legislative changes before, such as with the extensive Chapter 180 reforms, and we will do the same now as we enter a new era as an agency while working with the Governor to implement the legislative intent of this bill.”
