Tag Archives: Cannabis Control Commission

On September 8, 2023, the Cannabis Control Commission (“CCC”) held a hearing to discuss its proposed regulations, which were published in the Massachusetts Register on August 16. The regulations, which we discussed in a previous post here, fundamentally change the rules regarding Host Community Agreements (“HCAs”). The new regulations, if adopted as expected, will:

• Require all license applicants and existing licensees to include copies of their HCAs as part of any initial and annual renewal applications to the CCC filed on or after May 1,…

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Key Takeaways:

• On July 18, 2023, the Cannabis Control Commission hosted the second in a series of three public listening sessions on social consumption licenses in Massachusetts.
• Public commenters spoke in support of accelerating the licensure of social consumption establishments and allowing customers of those establishments to smoke cannabis indoors.
• Concerns were raised regarding inebriated driving and several commenters recommended training for social consumption establishment employees so that they can identify signs of inebriation in customers.…

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Key Takeaways:

• The proposed amendments would, among other things:
  • Require all license applicants and existing licensees to include copies of their HCAs as part of any initial and annual renewal applications to the CCC filed on or after May 1, 2024.
  • Require the CCC to review all HCAs for compliance with the new HCA law (which took effect in November of 2022) and CCC regulations within 90 days of receipt.…

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Key Takeaways:

• The Massachusetts Legislature has proposed new limitations on community impact fees, which may change the dynamic of the relationship between licensees and their host communities.
• Once effective, the Cannabis Control Commission would be charged with reviewing the community impact fee provisions of both new and existing HCAs for compliance.
• Specific limitations on community impact fees include a prohibition on fees tied to a percentage of gross sales.…

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If you’re a New Yorker or a person who has visited New York recently, you’ve probably seen or heard of stores selling a product or service to consumers and providing cannabis as a “gift” in return. Others – banking on lack of enforcement – may simply be selling cannabis at retail even though no licenses are yet available. Some of the “dispensaries” are even in the heart of Manhattan. This practice,… More

On November 23, 2021, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) released Draft Guidance on Hemp (Draft Guidance).

Pursuant to a 2020 amendment, adult-use cannabis establishments licensed by the CCC are permitted to cultivate, manufacture, and sell hemp products. This amendment did not give the CCC the authority to regulate hemp or hemp products—that authority remains with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health,… More

On February, 3, the highest court in Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) will hear two cases involving municipalities’ scope of authority in allowing adult-use cannabis businesses, Mederi Inc. v. City of Salem and CommCan, Inc. v. Town of Mansfield.

The facts leading up to the Mederi case began nearly three years ago in 2018 when Mederi Inc. was denied a host community agreement (“HCA”) with the city of Salem following a Committee of applications for more than the City’s five allotted marijuana retailer slots.… More

During a Cannabis Control Commission (“Commission”) regulatory policy discussion on June 19th, Chairman Steven Hoffman confirmed the Commission’s plans to publish draft revised regulations within the next few weeks and to vote on final regulations by the end of August. The revisions will address numerous issues that the Commission has identified since it updated its regulations last fall, including proposing new requirements for vape products and establishing a permitting process for cannabis research projects.… More

With July 1st now fully in the rear-view mirror, we thought it would be a good time to update you on the latest developments at the Cannabis Control Commission.  Earlier this month, the Commission approved two final retail licences for businesses in Northampton and Leicester.  These represent the very first final adult-use retail licenses awarded in the Commonwealth.  With this, Massachusetts residents should expect adult-use retail shops to open to the public within a matter of weeks. … More

GFA Federal Credit Union, a Massachusetts credit union with headquarters in Gardner, will become the first financial institution in the Commonwealth to serve the recreational cannabis industry by offering banking services to cannabis companies.  This represents a major step forward for companies in the Commonwealth’s burgeoning recreational cannabis industry, as previously most companies resorted to running cash-only operations without being able to offer customers the benefits of credit or debit purchases. … More