Cannabis Control Commission Requests Feedback on Delivery License Exclusivity Period for Economic Empowerment Applicants and Social Equity Program Participants

Starting today, the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) is inviting public comment regarding potential policy amendments to the existing exclusivity period for delivery businesses. The agency will also host a virtual listening session on Wednesday, December 11, prior to the closure of the public comment period on December 13 at 5 p.m. 

As discussed at the Commission’s November 14 public meeting (2:38:16), a Delivery Exclusivity Working Group has been tasked with assessing and proposing changes to 935 CMR 500.050(10)(b) and 935 CMR 500.050(11)(d), which provides a 36-month window during which only businesses majority-owned by Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants or Social Equity Program Participants are eligible to apply for and operate delivery licenses. 

Constituents are welcome to testify virtually or submit written feedback on whether the goals of the Commission’s delivery exclusivity period have been met or whether the timeframe should be extended. The 36-month window officially began on April 1, 2022, following the first Marijuana Delivery Operator to commence operations, and is currently set to conclude on April 1, 2025.  

The virtual listening session and public comment period are a part of the Commission’s mandatory evaluation of the delivery license exclusivity period to measure its effectiveness at fostering equitable participation. This review includes: 

• Monitoring overall participation from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition; 

• Evaluating participation specifically by people of color; and   

• Reviewing the number and performance of delivery license holders, along with other key performance indicators outlined in 935 CMR 500.050(10)(b).   

Public Comment Period:   

• Submit Written Testimony: Monday, November 25 – Friday, December 13, 2024, at 5 p.m. 

• Virtual Public Listening Session: Wednesday, December 11 from 1 – 3 p.m.   

How to Submit Comments:
Stakeholders are encouraged to submit written comments electronically as an attached Word document or as text within the body of an email. Please email Silea Williams, Director of Equity Programming and Community Outreach, at Commission@CCCMass.com. To facilitate review, please include “Regulatory Review – Delivery License Exclusivity” in the subject line. All submissions should include your full name, city/town, and state, along with an email address or phone number if available. 

Written comments should be submitted no later than December 13 at 5 p.m.
Comments received after this date may not be reviewed. For transparency, the Commission may publish submissions or produce them in response to requests under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L. c. 66, § 10, or other legal requirements. 

Details for those who to wish sign-up to speak during the December 11 virtual listening session will be forthcoming in a follow-up email.

Next Steps:
Once the Delivery Exclusivity Working Group has reviewed all public comments, it will draft policy recommendations that will be discussed at a future Commission public meeting. 

Any policy recommendations that may need to be memorialized as regulatory changes will be drafted, voted upon, and published for additional public comment before finalization and promulgation by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in accordance with state law.  

Thank you in advance for your valuable input as we work together to advance an inclusive and accessible cannabis industry for Massachusetts. 

Email public comment to Commission@CCCMass.com or Equity@CCCMass.com.

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