Eight bills in this legislative session seek to increase the number of dispensaries or cannabis establishments that any one business can own, but nearly 60 cannabis industry leaders and business owners have come together to oppose the push to increase the cap.
Marijuana
Posted inMarijuana
Mass. inspector general calls on cannabis regulators to conduct an audit over $550,000 in uncollected fees
MASSACHUSETTS INSPECTOR GENERAL Jeffrey Shapiro called on the Cannabis Control Commission to conduct an audit following the commission’s failure to collect approximately $550,000 in licensing fees since August 2022. In a letter to Travis Ahern, the newly appointed executive director, and Bruce Stebbins, the acting commission chair, Shapiro wrote that the agency’s failure to collect […]
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commission punts on long-term decision to keep cannabis delivery exclusive to social equity businesses
Cannabis commission extends period in which cannabis delivery licenses are only available to social equity businesses by a year but is punting on decision of whether to extend it further until the agency can collect more data.
Posted inMarijuana
Massachusetts cannabis industry struggles with diversity in senior leadership despite equity mandates
A lack of diversity persists at the senior leadership level in the cannabis industry, and industry leaders are calling on the commission to enforce diversity goals.
Posted inMarijuana
Regulators take aim at ‘wild west’ of cannabis host community agreements
State regulators tackle “wild west” of municipalities trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of cannabis companies but industry leaders say that it is “two years too late.”
Posted inState Government
Redacted filing sheds some light on O’Brien firing
A REDACTED COPY of Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s decision to fire Shannon O’Brien as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission was filed in court this week, but the treasurer is asking a skeptical judge to keep troves of other information related to the long-running saga out of public view. Goldberg fired O’Brien in September 2024 after considering about […]
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis Control Commission unveils new rules for social consumption
After a years-long wait, the Cannabis Control Commission has presented a new regulatory framework for getting social consumption for cannabis up and running in the state but without an executive director, the road ahead remains uncertain.
Posted inState Government
Fight between Goldberg, O’Brien heading to court
O’Brien’s attorney said on Tuesday that she plans to challenge the firing in court, a move that is likely to prolong chaos at the commission and bring all the messy details of the agency into public view.
Posted inMarijuana
Goldberg in difficult spot on O’Brien decision
It’s an unprecedented situation. Goldberg has spent close to $750,000 in taxpayer dollars on legal fees during the fight with O’Brien and O’Brien has probably spent a similar amount or more on private attorneys. O’Brien has also continued to collect her $196,551 annual salary during her suspension.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commissioner pushing for forensic audit of agency
Forensic audits typically examine an organization’s financial records and look for fraud, misconduct, or irregularities