The Massachusetts cannabis industry is a billion-dollar enterprise, with over 700 retailers operating across the state. Yet stores are closing, companies are firing their workers and retail and non-retail licenses are being surrendered by former operators as business owners clamor for regulatory changes to transform an industry they see as unsustainable.
The changes are taking place as the Cannabis Control Commission, created in 2017 to regulate the new recreational cannabis industry, has been at the center of controversy, leading to delays implementing necessary regulations.
House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy, has suggested restructuring the commission is a priority item. But some industry observers wonder if those changes may be too little too late.
The CCC’s acting chair defends their recent pace.
“This is a very entrepreneurial industry, and I fully acknowledge that regulators aren’t usually organized and structured to respond as fast as an industry might like, but I think what you’re seeing is a lot of collaboration … and a lot of energy into tackling some of these issues and hopefully doing it this year,” said Bruce Stebbins.
The CCC started introducing changes license holders had been asking for late last year. These include eliminating the “two-driver” rule, allowing microbusinesses to have retail and transport licenses, and permitting patients to request a telehealth consultation for their initial certification. The CCC has also said it will regulate social consumption in early 2025. This measure has been requested by business owners for years.
Brink of closures
But industry players say key issues remain unanswered.
“When the industry is really on the brink of closures, you need a little bit more speed with which the regulatory agency is implementing things,” said Ryan Dominguez, executive director at the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition.
H/T: www.gazettenet.com
