Boots on the Ground: First-Hand Report of Cannabis Regulatory Activity in Massachusetts

November 3, 2017
kamanijefferson
Massachusetts, Policy & Legal
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I am the registered lobbyist and president of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council (MRCC) as well as a field organizer on the Campaign to Tax and Regulate Marijuana here in Massachusetts, reporting from the field that things have been moving fast these last two months.

Five members of the Cannabis Control Commission responsible for regulating the recreational and medical use of marijuana were announced in early September. They have had weekly meetings on their responsibilities, where things are headed, the budget needed and staff that is expected to come on board. The executive director, Shawn Collins was recently hired in mid-October but has yet to begin. The Cannabis Control Commission is currently hiring for a communications director and general counsel if anyone is interested.

The first two weeks of October, the commission traveled throughout the Commonwealth on a listening tour. They went to various parts of the state and listened to constituents on what the regulations should look like. Two themes constantly came up:

Low barriers to entry for farmers/small businesses
Help for those who were harmed the most by marijuana prohibition.

Written comments were allowed to be submitted on recommendations till October 31. The Cannabis Advisory Board has until November 30 to submit their recommendations on regulations.

Although cannabis was legalized in Massachusetts in 2016, towns still have the ability to ban marijuana establishments in their districts.

Banned establishments include:

cultivation facilities,
co-ops, labs,
processors,
manufacturers,
and dispensaries.

Municipalities will be making these decisions at their local town hall meetings. Over 100 municipalities have either banned or put a temporary moratorium on marijuana establishments.

The more proponents attending these hearings, the better chance of receiving the influx of opportunities attached to a well-regulated marijuana industry. City council members need to be made aware that their constituents are serious about the vote made last November.

MRCC is looking for consumer advocates in each town to help mobilize community members to testify at public forums on behalf of marijuana establishments. Our goal is to get at least one MRCC consumer advocate as a point of contact in each town to help mobilize residents and spread the word.

Kamani Jefferson

Kamani Jefferson is president and registered lobbyist for the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council. The Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council (MRCC) works with local and state governmental bodies to ensure the social welfare and well-being of recreational marijuana consumers, marijuana businesses, and the general public. He is the co-founder of the Cannabis Cultural Association in New York, a non-profit organization that strives to involve underrepresented communities in the legal cannabis/hemp industry, by providing informational workshops, cultural programs, and community events with an emphasis on issues disproportionately affecting communities of color: access to medical cannabis, adult use legalization, and criminal justice reform.

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