The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) voted 3-0 to approve draft social consumption regulations, marking the end of an intensive review period.
Approval of the draft regulations—which include rules around what will be the first-ever regulated on-site cannabis-consumption events in the Commonwealth—kicks off the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s promulgation process, including a public comment period, public hearing, and final Commission vote in the fall.
An internal Commission working group led by Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins and former commissioner Nurys Camargo began its work in 2023, holding a series of public listening sessions on social consumption across the state. Working group members also met with stakeholders – including prospective businesses, equity licensees, law enforcement groups, municipal officials, and state leaders – and studied social consumption establishments in California, Michigan, Nevada, and Colorado, among other states.
The working group in December unveiled three different social consumption licenses:
- Supplemental, for existing Marijuana Establishments (MEs) to add on-site consumption into their operations;
- Hospitality, for new or existing non-cannabis businesses to host consumption activities in partnership with qualifying MEs; and
- Event Organizer, for qualifying MEs to organize and host temporary consumption events.
Following the approval and implementation of Hospitality licenses, the three proposed models will be exclusive to Social Equity Businesses, Social Equity Program Participants, Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants, Microbusinesses, and Craft Marijuana Cooperatives for 60 months.
Since December, Commissioners and staff have held more than half a dozen public meetings as well as an informal public comment period to review social consumption regulations, leading to the following updates to the original proposal:
Marijuana Event Organizer (MEO) License
- MEO licensees will be required to secure local permits from the host city or town for a given event before seeking Commission approval of an Event Plan;
- Events will be limited to no more than 24 single days of permitted sales activity during a calendar year and no more than five consecutive days of sales activity at any temporary event; and
- Municipalities will have authority over time, place, and manner of events, similar to a One-Day Permit issued by municipalities through the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.
Agent Badging
- The social consumption regulatory update will also incorporate changes to badging in the Massachusetts cannabis industry. Employees, otherwise known as Registered Agents, will only be required to hold one badge per employer, a change from the previous practice of maintaining a separate badge for every licensee at which they are employed; and
- Independent Testing Laboratory employees will have the opportunity to renew badges every three years, in line with all other Registered Agents.
Food Service
- For the first time in the Massachusetts industry, this regulatory update will explicitly permit MEs to sell non-infused food and drink items that are pre-packaged and shelf-stable; and
- Hospitality Social Consumption licensees may also seek permits from local or state authorities to serve non-shelf stable food alongside shelf-stable items.
