The Commonwealth Publishes New Medical- and Adult-use of Marijuana Regulations

WORCESTER—Today, the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) received confirmation that the medical- and adult-use marijuana regulations, 935 CMR 501.000 and 935 CMR 500.000, have been published in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations and are thereby in effect.

The Commission filed the final guidelines with Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, William Francis Galvin, in December 2020. Leading up to the filing, the Commission held eight public policy meetings, received more than 250 public comments, and hosted two public hearings.

“The official promulgation of these regulations is the culmination of a lot of hard work and collaboration between Commissioners, staff, and the public,” said Executive Director Shawn Collins. “Of course, promulgation is an important milestone in the regulatory process. We now begin the important process of implementation, which entails system updates, new and revised guidance documents, publishing FAQs and other educational resources, all of which are intended to make the regulations, our agency, and this industry more accessible.”

The final regulations include new and amended provisions such as out-of-state medical patient registration, increased caregiver/patient ratios, Marijuana Research Facilities and Research Permits, the Marijuana Delivery Operator license type, fee waivers and reductions for equity applicants, an expanded exclusivity period for certain license types, the sale of branded goods, new leadership ratings, and enhanced ownership and control limits. The Commission will implement the new regulations with required system updates in the Metrc seed-to-sale tracking system and MassCIP, in addition to the development of new guidance documents, FAQs, bulletins, and processes. The Commission will present the implementation timeline at a future public meeting.

The official version of 935 CMR 501.000 and 935 CMR 500.000 will be available through the Secretary’s State’s Publications and Regulations Division and the State Bookstore at the State House, Room 116, Boston, MA 02133, by calling (617) 727-2834 or by ordering online.

The Commission’s next public meeting is Thursday, January 14, at 10:00 a.m.

Video recordings of the Commission’s previous policy discussions and public hearings regarding the new regulations are available on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, contact the Commission at 774-415-0200, email Commission@CCCMass.com, or follow the agency on Facebook and Twitter.

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