Doubling of cannabis possession limit recently made headlines, but that’s just one part of this legislation in the works
It’s been said the Massachusetts cannabis industry is now on a dual track.
In the lane that’s moving backwards, there is an effort to repeal adult-use laws and buzz back to the dark ages of medical-only dispensaries.
On the road that’s moving forward, social consumption is on the horizon, while state lawmakers are several months into patching together a bill that will majorly impact the industry in various ways. For better or worse, depending on who you ask and which aspect you’re discussing.
What’s in the big cannabis bill
An Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws (S.2722 / H.4206) seeks to overhaul the state’s regulatory structure as the industry enters its tenth year since legalization. Senate and House versions are currently being reconciled in a conference committee. Among the dynamics the resulting output could impact:
- Industry oversight: The bill reduces the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) from five members to three and shifts appointment power (those details remain in flux). It would also give the chair the authority to directly appoint the agency’s executive director.
- Consumer changes: The bill as it is currently written will increase the personal possession limit for adults from one ounce to two ounces.
- Medical changes: The Senate version of the omnibus bill allows medical cannabis patients from other states to use their cards at Mass dispensaries, while both versions remove the “vertical integration” requirement, meaning medical dispensaries would no longer be required to grow, process, and sell their own products.
- Business changes: Both versions of the bill increase the number of retail licenses a single entity can hold. The Senate proposes a cap of four, while the House version previously suggested six. The current limit is three.
- Equity changes: The bill increases the share of the Marijuana Regulation Fund directed to the Social Equity Trust Fund.
This week, the State House News Service also broke down the bureaucratic labyrinth being set up for hemp sellers …
The House legislation creates an oversight structure of the importation, manufacturing and sale of hemp beverages and CBD products. Both products could only be sold if they are registered with the CCC and the agency must develop regulations for registering hemp products, including a prohibition on products with synthetic cannabinoids. Products could only be made with concentrate that complies with federal hemp potency limits.
Hemp drinks could only be sold by retailers licensed by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to sell all alcohol and all hemp-based products would need to be registered with the CCC. CBD products could only be sold by entities with a certain consumable CBD product tax license and have an endorsement from the CCC.
Latest developments
On Dec. 31, presumably right before lawmakers put on their party hats to watch the ball drop, members of the House and Senate formed a conference committee to iron out differences between the two versions.
“Almost 10 years have passed since the people of Massachusetts voted to legalize recreational cannabis use,” Ways & Means Chair Sen. Michael Rodrigues said in a public comment. “As the market has grown, it has become clear that we should make adjustments to strengthen our regulatory structure and relax limits on possession.”
In a statement of support for lawmakers in their work on the measure, Armani White of Equitable Opportunities Now and Firehouse Cannabis in Hyde Park said, “The Senate has made it clear that Massachusetts’ cannabis market should work for local, small, and social equity businesses —not just the biggest out-of-state corporations. … We urge both chambers to preserve these safeguards in the final bill so that communities harmed by the war on drugs and underserved small businesses remain at the heart of cannabis policy in the Commonwealth.”
Ryan Dominguez, executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, said, “The Senate’s proposals will provide our local businesses with the ability to increase revenue while removing regulatory red tape and promoting responsible economic growth. The MCC looks forward to continuing to partner with our state and local leaders to implement these reforms effectively and efficiently.”
