NBC10 Boston | Mass. commission rolls out framework for ‘cannabis cafes’

Tucked away in an alley behind Newbury St. in Boston, there is a private entrance to the Rooted In Cannabis Dispensary, reserved for VIP guests. They are invited to a lounge at the back of the business for individualized sales.

“Even before you walk in we work with customers to create the vibe that they are looking for so you can set the music that they want to hear and you can set whatever you want to see on the TV and you can also pick from our options of cannabis products of what you would like to be shown,” said Brian Keith, owner of the dispensary.

For now, the lounge is limited to buying but he envisions it could become a space where customers can try the products too.

“We think it will be a natural evolution from what we’ve started here where we’ll be able to not only have the private buying experience and private education experience but be able to consume as well–consume consciously, consume responsibly.”

That could be possible with one of the licenses proposed by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Thursday as part of the regulatory framework for social consumption of cannabis.

The supplemental license could apply to existing cannabis businesses like Rooted In that want to provide a designated space for consumption on site.

A hospitality license would allow non-cannabis businesses to offer their customers the ability to consume cannabis products there. Tito Jackson says that type of license could apply to his rooftop lounge that sits a few floors above his dispensary, Apex Noire, in Downtown Boston.

###

During the Cannabis Control Commission’s Public Meeting on December 5, three proposed Social Consumption Establishment license types were presented for consideration for regulatory reform. The three license types include: Supplemental, Hospitality, and Event Organizer.

Watch NBC10 Boston’s Coverage Here: https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-commission-considers-license-to-open-cannabis-cafes/3569900/

For more discussion, tune into the Commission’s Public Meeting on December 17, for Commissioners’ review of the red-line regulations.