Using marijuana is legal in Massachusetts — but that doesn’t mean your boss has to allow it. Business advocates say company policies about marijuana use are currently all over the map. But a bill sponsored by Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, would change that. Lewis’ bill, S.978, would forbid employers from penalizing or discriminating against an employee […]
Massachusetts
Mass. marijuana industry is mostly corporate and white. Inside one Boston battle to change that
Second in a series As dozens of black residents packed the Mildred Avenue Community Center one night in January, it looked like an ordinary — if conspicuously well-attended — neighborhood forum. Except there was nothing ordinary about it. In attendance were three businessmen, each vying for the right to open a store in the heart […]
1st Massachusetts farmers moving toward approval to grow marijuana outdoors
So far, all the marijuana sold in Massachusetts’ legal market has been grown indoors. But that could change. The Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday approved the first two provisional licenses for companies that plan to grow marijuana outdoors in the Berkshires. The licenses went to Theory Wellness and BCWC, both medical marijuana companies that are […]
You can’t own more than 3 pot shops, but these companies are testing the limit — and bragging about it
First in a series. Robert Leidy, scion of a wealthy Palm Beach family, struck a serious pose that night before officials in the small town of Athol. In a dark suit and tie, he fixed his gaze on a careful script. There was no mention of the deep-pocketed investors backing him or the fishing yacht […]
Massachusetts marijuana advisory board says state should allow cannabis cafes
The advisory board to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is backing the creation of cannabis cafes and pot-consumption events, voting unanimously for the state to develop regulations around the licenses. The vote is a promising step forward for advocates who have pressed for the state to begin licensing places where people can consume marijuana on-site, […]
1st legal marijuana stores are open in Massachusetts, but industry is far from mature
After years of preparation and debate, legal marijuana is now a reality in Massachusetts. Any adult can walk into a store, pay cash and walk out with a joint, which they can smoke, legally, in their home. But the roll-out of the first marijuana stores is only the beginning. In the coming year, marijuana entrepreneurs […]
Massachusetts marijuana: Sales hit $23.8 million in first two months of open retail pot shops
In the first two months of recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts, pot shops took in nearly $24 million in sales, according to data released by state regulators. The Cannabis Control Commission, the state’s marijuana regulatory agency, released the figures this week. Massachusetts opened the first retail pot shops east of the Mississippi in late November. […]
Georgia marijuana company agrees to buy New England Treatment Access
New England Treatment Access, one of the state’s early medical marijuana operators and the first to sell recreational pot in Massachusetts, has agreed to be acquired by a Georgia marijuana firm. Atlanta-based Surterra Wellness said Monday that its agreement to purchase NETA in a cash and stock transaction “is one of the largest acquisitions to […]
Committee recommends allowing marijuana home delivery in Massachusetts
Despite concerns about robberies and security, a state committee recommended that Massachusetts grant licenses to companies to deliver marijuana. The question surrounds “delivery-only” licenses, in which the Cannabis Control Commission would let a company form a business and obtain a license to deliver marijuana from a retail store to a customer’s home. Walpole Police Chief […]
What is Massachusetts planning to do with all that marijuana tax revenue?
In a recent interview, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he hoped the the tax revenue from marijuana in Massachusetts would be worth the “human toll.” Walsh, who opposed the 2016 state ballot measure to legalize the drug for recreational use, later explained that he hoped the money would be devoted toward initiatives that promote public health and safe […]
Massachusetts marijuana retail shops’ rollout going ‘mostly according to plan,’ Gov. Charlie Baker says
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he’s satisfied with the rollout of the state’s first recreational marijuana retail stores. “I think it’s gone what I would describe, I guess, as mostly according to plan, which is a good thing,” Baker told MassLive. Two stores, Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton, opened […]
Two Massachusetts marijuana stores are open: What’s next?
Massachusetts’ first two stores to legally sell recreational marijuana opened amid fanfare on Tuesday. It is only the beginning of what is expected to be a new billion dollar-plus industry, which could take years to ramp up. “Realistically, to be a really full-fledged industry, they’ll need 200 to 300 stores in the next few years, […]
While marijuana sales begin in Massachusetts, could New York next?
If New York chooses to follow Massachusetts’ lead on recreational marijuana, Tuesday provided a window in to what it might see. Hundreds of people swarmed the New England Treatment Access store on Tuesday morning as Massachusetts became the first state on the East Coast to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana. The store is one […]
Recreational marijuana sales to begin in Massachusetts Tuesday and the first two customers have already been selected
The first two retail marijuana shops in Massachusetts are set to begin selling products to the public Tuesday, marking the first time recreational pot will be sold east of the Mississippi. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has given the green light to Cultivate Holdings, LLC, which has a retail shop in Leicester, and New England Treatment […]
The first Massachusetts marijuana retail shops are finally opening; Here’s what you should know
Retail stores that sell recreational marijuana are anticipated to open in Massachusetts. More than two years after Bay State voters approved a ballot question broadly legalizing recreational marijuana, state regulators have provided final sign-offs to the stores, and all that’s left is the “commence operations” notice. The specific opening dates are still unclear. It’s a […]
What Cannabis Companies Should Know About Data Security and Breach Response Requirements
Cannabis companies should remain mindful of the importance of creating and maintaining a comprehensive written data security program. No cannabis company should aspire to being subject to response costs, regulatory fines, and potential lawsuits that follow the theft or inadvertent disclosures of legally protected or commercially sensitive data or, even worse, harming customers by enabling […]
It Will Be ‘Years’ Before Marijuana Cafes Open In Massachusetts, Regulators Say
The days when marijuana users will be able to congregate at an establishment in Massachusetts and socially consume the drug are years away, cannabis regulators said Tuesday, and it is likely that any social consumption will be limited to vaping and edibles. The Cannabis Control Commission has the authority under the 2016 voter law legalizing adult-use […]
Why can’t Massachusetts medical marijuana labs also test recreational?
By early next month, it will be two years since Massachusetts voters declared they wanted marijuana legalized for recreational use by approving a ballot question. But not one recreational marijuana shop has been permitted to open. State law requires samples be tested to ensure that marijuana products are safe to ingest. A big reason for the […]
