IN 2017, Massachusetts lawmakers revised the cannabis legalization ballot measure approved by voters the year before. They made improvements, such as expanding the Cannabis Control Commission from three members to five, and increasing the local tax option from 2 percent to 3 percent. They also made mistakes, including mandating host community agreements between municipalities and […]
Marijuana
Posted inOpinion
Support black-owned cannabis shop in Harvard Square
WE WERE THRILLED to hear about the proposal for a black-owned cannabis dispensary in Harvard Square. The location is highly suitable and the venture will be a boon for the local economy. It is wonderful to see local entrepreneurs capitalize on our attempts to create equity in an emerging industry, and we see this as a powerful […]
Posted inUncategorized
Northampton drops fee on marijuana companies
MARIJUANA COMPANY officials have long complained about the excessive fees imposed by communities statewide. Now, one marijuana-friendly city is going in the opposite direction. Northampton recently decided to waive the community impact fees it has been charging marijuana businesses and reimpose them only if there is a specific need. Northampton appears to be the first […]
Posted inUncategorized
Marijuana trade association drops delivery lawsuit amid public pressureÂ
FACING INTENSE PUBLIC PRESSURE from its members, the Commonwealth Dispensary Association on Monday withdrew its lawsuit seeking to overturn the state’s new marijuana home delivery regulations. The trade association representing major marijuana retailers in the medical and recreational industry had filed suit January 13 against the Cannabis Control Commission, and the lawsuit became public late last week. Over the weekend, […]
Posted inUncategorized
Marijuana companies withdraw from trade association over delivery lawsuit
SEVERAL LARGE cannabis companies have withdrawn their membership from the Commonwealth Dispensary Association due to a lawsuit the trade association filed opposing the state’s new marijuana delivery regulations. The companies say the delivery regulations will help achieve greater racial equity in the marijuana industry, and they are unhappy that the association is seeking to overturn […]
Posted inUncategorized
SJC takes up local control of marijuana licensing
OFFICIALLY, THE STATE licenses marijuana businesses. Practically, local municipalities are the gatekeepers. The requirement that cities and towns negotiate host community agreements with marijuana establishments has led to alleged outright corruption in Fall River, and statewide frustration among marijuana entrepreneurs who say local officials are violating the spirit – and potentially letter – of the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Marijuana retailers sue over home delivery rulesÂ
A COALITION OF marijuana dispensaries has made good on the threat to sue state regulators over new regulations governing home delivery of marijuana, in a case that is illustrating the contentious divide among various segments of the state’s young marijuana industry.  When the Cannabis Control Commission approved the marijuana delivery regulations in November, the Commonwealth Dispensary Association, […]
Posted inUncategorized
How to diversify the medical marijuana industry
MASSACHUSETTS MARIJUANA regulators have done yeoman’s work to diversify the cannabis industry, taking numerous steps to ensure that small and minority-owned businesses have an opportunity to enter the legal marijuana market. But one segment of the industry remains controlled – largely by design – by big companies, including some multi-state operators: medical marijuana. Could an […]
Posted inUncategorized
Cannabis regulators approve home deliveryÂ
THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION on Monday approved new regulations that should, within months, let recreational marijuana consumers in Massachusetts get legal marijuana delivered to their home.  The final decision to license marijuana delivery companies marks a major shift for the industry, and a victory for minority entrepreneurs. But it also brings with it the threat of […]
Posted inThe Download
What’s holding up marijuana home delivery?
It will probably be summer before Massachusetts residents can start getting marijuana legally delivered to their home, warned Devin Alexander, vice president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Association for Delivery. First, marijuana entrepreneurs must overcome a host of regulatory hurdles, including the state licensing process and potentially more difficult municipal approvals. They must navigate a market […]