Public can testify on bills on data transparency, testing, and medical marijuana
With the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission based in Worcester, sometimes it’s easy to forget where the foundational industry rules come from around here. Of course that’s Beacon Hill, where there are currently dozens of bills filed waiting for attention from the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy.
On June 6, starting at 1pm in Hearing Room A1 at the State House, the committee will hear testimony on some of those proposed bills—specifically those regarding “Medical, Research, and Labs legislation.” They are as follows:
- An act relative to data transparency in the cannabis industry
- An act to provide consumers of adult-use and medical dispensaries of cannabis with access to a medical professional for consultation
- An act requiring informed consent for marijuana testing
- An act relative to research by independent testing laboratories
- An act relative to vertical integration of medical marijuana businesses
- An act relative to medical marijuana fees
- An act relative to medical marijuana oversight
- An act relative to data transparency in the cannabis industry
Some of this may sound boring or trivial, but we assure you that this stuff is worth paying attention to. In many ways, these bills address issues that are front and center for the CCC, stakeholders, and even consumers and medical patients. As regulators review the current state of testing labs and policies in particular, some of this legislation could be game-changing.
Those wanting to submit written testimony to the committee can send it to meriah.metzger@mahouse.gov, and should include “testimony” and the relevant bill number in the subject line of the email. If you want to testify in person, fill this form out here. And if you can’t make it in person, there will be a livestream available at malegislature.gov under the hearings and events tab.
We will be there to cover the hearing, and encourage anyone who plans to testify to contact us at info@talkingjointsmemo with any comments, written testimonies, or guest op-eds either beforehand or after June 6.
