Healey said her move makes Massachusetts “the first state to take action” since President Joseph Biden in 2022 asked the nation’s governors to follow his lead on pardoning simple cannabis possession convictions.
Marijuana
Posted inOpinion
Confessions of a marijuana legalizer
We lacked the wherewithal to counter the propaganda, so we played to common fears, however unfounded, by pointedly including in the law ample authority for the proposed regulatory agency to enact rules addressing every jitter, however baseless, about marijuana.
Posted inEconomy
For the ‘canna-curious,’ a new way to buy and ‘drink weed’
Theory Wellness, opening the state’s first drink-only cannabis dispensary in Medford, is betting on the growing cannabis beverage market and looking to make the process of buying and drinking marijuana look a lot more like the process of buying and drinking beer or the ever-more-popular spiked seltzer.
Posted inMarijuana
Judge puts off Goldberg-O’Brien meeting
A state judge sided with Shannon O’Brien on Tuesday, ruling that the suspended chair of the Cannabis Control Commission shouldn’t be required to meet with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg until all of the investigations into O’Brien are completed and the investigators are available for questioning.
Posted inCourts, Marijuana
Attorney accused of bribery in seeking Medford marijuana license
SOMERVILLE ATTORNEY Sean O’Donovan was arrested Friday and charged with trying to bribe a family member of the Medford police chief to convince the chief to help a marijuana company […]
Posted inUncategorized
Hoffman’s abrupt exit at cannabis commission remains a mystery
THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION is at an inflection point, with all five of the state’s original marijuana regulators having moved on. “Today marks a significant moment for all of us […]
Posted inRace/Racism
No easy glide path for Black marijuana CEOs
BLACK AND LATINO men were disproportionately incarcerated for decades for drug-related offenses. But when it comes to participating in the emerging legal marijuana industry, only 4 percent of cannabis company […]
Posted inUncategorized
Senate passes a marijuana equity bill
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE on Thursday passed a bill that takes significant steps toward helping minority entrepreneurs and those affected by prior enforcement of drug laws break into the legal marijuana […]
Posted inUncategorized
Defense lawyer dismisses Baker marijuana bill as ‘junk science’
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER has been pushing for legislation he says would give “law enforcement more tools to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers.” John Amabile, president of the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Marijuana industry ‘fixes’ moving in the Legislature
A COMPREHENSIVE BILL that would address several major problems that marijuana regulators and industry experts have pinpointed in the legal cannabis industry is starting to move in the Legislature. The Joint Committee on […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Marijuana regulators support updates to drugged driving laws
SINCE MASSACHUSETTS LEGALIZED recreational marijuana, Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing the Legislature to also update the state’s laws against driving under the influence of drugs. But a lengthy […]
Posted inOpinion
Mass. falling behind on marijuana equity mandate
AFTER MASSACHUSETTS voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2016, the Legislature made history as the first in the nation to require full participation in the regulated industry by individuals who were harmed by […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker refiles marijuana-impaired driving bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday announced that he is taking another run at passing a bill to stop people from driving while impaired by marijuana. Baker said the bill will […]
Posted inEconomy
Marijuana prices show signs of leveling out
ARE POT PRICES in Massachusetts finally dropping? Since Massachusetts allowed the first legal marijuana sales in November 2018, prices for legal cannabis have remained high. High prices are one factor […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Marijuana sales averaging nearly $106m per month
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THROUGH EIGHT MONTHS of 2021, recreational marijuana retailers in Massachusetts have sold more than $140 million more in products than they did throughout the entirety of […]
Posted inUncategorized
How 2 Roxbury families are keeping marijuana business local
ROXBURY RESIDENTS Solmon Chowdhury and Brian Keith had no plans to get into the marijuana business. But as the industry started getting off the ground in Massachusetts, the two men were […]
Posted inUncategorized
SJC urges Legislature to update marijuana laws
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT on Friday urged the Legislature to update the state’s marijuana law to provide “much-needed clarity” on issues surrounding the agreements between marijuana shops and their host communities. […]
Posted inOpinion
How to achieve social equity in the cannabis industry
TO ITS CREDIT, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has emerged as a national leader in the ongoing work to inject equity into the nascent cannabis sector. Many elected leaders have long […]
Posted inUncategorized
Minority marijuana businesses seek state-backed capital
ALL THE STATE’S social equity programs are worth nothing if entrepreneurs of color cannot access the money they need to start a business. That was the message from marijuana entrepreneurs – and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Home delivery of marijuana starting next week
NEXT WEEK, Freshly Baked Company in Taunton will make history when it begins delivering marijuana-infused gummies to any adult purchaser near Taunton. It will be the first time members of the public […]
Posted inUncategorized
State regulators weigh how to expand hemp sales
WHEN THE STATE budget passed in December, lawmakers tucked into it a provision meant to be a lifeline for struggling hemp farmers in Massachusetts, allowing farmers to sell their products […]
Posted inUncategorized
Brownie bites and espresso chocolate, with a kick
IF YOU SEE a red raspberry hard lozenge in distinctive red and yellow packaging, it was likely sold at a NETA marijuana store and is infused with 50 mg of […]
Posted inOpinion
3% cannabis impact fee covers costs that don’t exist
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 […]
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 […]