Applicants & Licensees / License Types
License Types
Learn about the different license types created to empower business owners, local farmers, and entrepreneurs in Massachusetts. More information about the Cannabis Control Commission’s (Commission) licensing process is available through the Guidance on Licensure.
Medical-Use License Types
Medical-use license types are known as Medical Marijuana Establishments (MME) and were previously known as Registered Marijuana Dispensaries (RMDs) or Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MTCs). An MME includes Fully Integrated Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (FIMTC), or any other type of licensed medical use of marijuana-related business authorized by the Commission. Currently, the only type of MME authorized is the FIMTC license type. However, the Commission is in the process of developing other types of MME licenses in accordance with Ch. 65 of the Acts of 2026.
Fully Integrated Medical Marijuana Establishment
An FIMTC is a vertically integrated business that cultivates, processes, and retails its own marijuana and marijuana products for medical use. FIMTCs may also deliver marijuana and marijuana products to Registered Qualifying Patients.
Adult-Use License Types
Adult-use license types are known as Marijuana Establishments (MEs) and include Craft Marijuana Cooperatives, Cultivators (indoor or outdoor), Independent Testing Laboratories, Marijuana Couriers, Marijuana Delivery Operators, Marijuana Research Facilities, Microbusinesses, Product Manufacturers, Retailers, Social Consumption Establishments, Standards Laboratories, Transporters, or any other type of adult-use marijuana business licensed by the Commission, excluding MMEs.
Types of Marijuana Establishments
Cultivator
A Cultivator is a business licensed to cultivate, process, and package marijuana and to transfer marijuana to other MEs—but not to consumers.
A licensee may not have a total canopy of more than 100,000 square feet.
Canopy is measured as the boundary that contains mature plants at any point in time. If mature plants are being cultivated using a shelving system, the surface area of each level is included in the total canopy calculation. A canopy may be noncontiguous and may include:
- Interior walls
- Shelves
- Greenhouse walls
- Hoop house walls
- Garden benches
- Hedge rows
- Fencing
- Garden beds
- Garden plots
Cultivators may select one of 11 tiers of operating space. The selected tier affects application and licensing fees.
| Tier 1 | up to 5,000 square feet |
| Tier 2 | 5,001 to 10,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 3 | 10,001 to 20,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 4 | 20,001 to 30,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 5 | 30,001 to 40,000 sq. ft |
| Tier 6 | 40,001 to 50,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 7 | 50,001 to 60,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 8 | 60,001 to 70,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 9 | 70,001 to 80,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 10 | 80,001 to 90,000 sq. ft. |
| Tier 11 | 90,001 to 100,000 sq. ft. |
Craft Marijuana Cooperative
A Craft Marijuana Cooperative is a type of Marijuana Cultivator that allows growers to join together and grow up to 100,000 square feet of marijuana plants among them. A Craft Marijuana Cooperative may cultivate, obtain, manufacture, process, package, and transfer marijuana and marijuana products to MEs, but not to consumers.
A cooperative must satisfy the following conditions:
- All members of the cooperative must have lived in Massachusetts for at least one year prior to submitting an application.
- The cooperative must include Massachusetts residents who have formed a limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or a cooperative corporation under Massachusetts law.
- One member of the Craft Marijuana Cooperative must have filed a Schedule F tax form during the past five years.
- The Craft Marijuana Cooperative must operate according to the seven cooperative principles published by the International Cooperative Alliance in 1995.
- The Craft Marijuana Cooperative is limited to one license and may cultivate up to 100,000 square feet of marijuana canopy. It is not limited to a particular number of cultivation locations but is restricted to three locations for activities authorized for Product Manufacturers.
- The members of a Craft Marijuana Cooperative may not have direct or indirect control over or an equity interest of 10% or greater in any other ME at the time of licensure but may subsequently apply for other certain license types thereafter.
Product Manufacturer
A Product Manufacturer is an entity licensed by the Commission to obtain, manufacture, process, and package marijuana or marijuana products and to transfer these products to other MEs, but not to consumers.
Microbusiness
A Microbusiness is an ME that can be either a Tier 1 Marijuana Cultivator or Product Manufacturer—or both. A Microbusiness that is a Marijuana Product Manufacturer may purchase no more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana per year from other MEs. The majority of executives or members of a Microbusiness must be residents of Massachusetts for no less than 12 months prior to applying for a license. Application and license fees for Microbusinesses are set at 50% of the combined sum of the application and license fees for cultivation and/or manufacturing.
Microbusinesses also may offer delivery upon receiving a Delivery Endorsement from the Commission. Delivery Endorsements are available only to Marijuana Microbusinesses with majority ownership comprised of Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants and/or Social Equity Program Participants through April 1, 2029. The Commission’s Delivery FAQ has More information about Delivery Endorsements.
Transporter
A transporter is an entity that solely transports marijuana or marijuana products. There are two types of transporters:
- Third-party Transporter
An entity that is permitted to transport marijuana and marijuana products between MEs and between MMEs, but not to consumers. - Existing Licensee Transporter
An ME that contracts with other MEs to transport their marijuana and marijuana products to other MEs or other MMEs, but not to consumers.
Retailer
A Marijuana Retailer is an entity authorized to purchase and transport marijuana and marijuana products from other MEs, and to sell or otherwise transfer marijuana and marijuana products to other MEs and to consumers.
A Marijuana Retailer provides a retail location accessible by consumers 21 years of age or older or, if the retailer is co-located with an MME, by individuals who are also Registered Qualifying Patients or Personal Caregivers.
Marijuana Courier
A Marijuana Courier may deliver, but not sell, marijuana or marijuana products from a licensed ME or MME with which the Marijuana Courier has a delivery agreement directly to consumers and patients at their residences. The agreement should set forth business terms and procedures for pre-verification of consumers receiving deliveries. A Marijuana Courier shall not have a retail location accessible to the public.
Residential deliveries of marijuana or marijuana products are permitted in all municipalities so long as the municipality has not opt-ed out. The Commission maintains a database of municipalities that allow residential delivery. Deliveries may only take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., unless otherwise limited by municipal by-law or ordinance. Municipalities may narrow the time for delivery. Licensees are responsible for knowing the rules of the municipalities they deliver to.
A Marijuana Courier shall be limited on an exclusive basis to businesses controlled by and with majority ownership comprised of Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants or Social Equity Program Participants through April 1, 2029.
For more information about this license type, view the Commission’s Delivery FAQ.
Marijuana Delivery Operator
Marijuana Delivery Operators are allowed to purchase marijuana and marijuana products from licensed Marijuana Cultivators and Marijuana Product Manufacturers and sell and deliver to consumers. They may also securely store on their premises marijuana and marijuana products that have been purchased at wholesale for eventual resale to consumers.
Residential deliveries of marijuana or marijuana products are permitted in all municipalities so long as the municipality has not opted out. The Commission maintains a database of municipalities that allow residential delivery. Deliveries may only take place between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., unless otherwise limited by municipal by-law or ordinance. Municipalities may narrow the time for delivery. Licensees are responsible for knowing the rules of the municipalities they deliver to.
Marijuana Delivery Operator licenses shall be limited on an exclusive basis to businesses controlled by and with majority ownership comprised of Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants or Social Equity Program Participants through April 1, 2029.
For more information about this license type, view the Commission’s Delivery FAQ.
Independent Testing Laboratory
An Independent Testing Laboratory is an entity that is properly accredited to perform tests in compliance with the requirements of the Commission’s protocols for testing marijuana and marijuana products.
Social Consumption Establishment
A Social Consumption Establishment is an entity licensed to sell marijuana or marijuana products to consumers for consumption on its premises in a designated consumption area approved by the Commission.
There are three types of Social Consumption licenses:
- Supplemental On-site, for existing MEs to incorporate on-site consumption into their business location;
- Hospitality On-site, for qualifying applicants and MEs to allow for on-site consumption in new or established non-cannabis businesses; and
- Marijuana Event Organizer, for all qualifying applicants and MEs to organize and host temporary consumption events.
Each Social Consumption license type, once available, will be exclusively available to businesses controlled by and with majority ownership comprised of Social Equity Program Participants or Certified Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants, Microbusinesses, and Craft Marijuana Cooperatives for a period of 36 months, beginning on the date on which at least one licensee in each Social Consumption Establishment license class has received a notice to commence operations.
Note: Social Consumption Establishment licenses are not yet available. The Commission is in the process of implementing social consumption regulations and will inform the public via its Public Meetings, website, and social media channels when license applications are available.
Standards Laboratory
A Standards Laboratory performs testing to verify the results of Independent Testing Laboratories.
Marijuana Research Facility
A Marijuana Research Facility Licensee is an academic institution, non-profit corporation, domestic corporation, or other entity authorized to do business in Massachusetts, including an ME or MME, that may cultivate or purchase marijuana to conduct research on marijuana and marijuana products.
Adult-Use Licenses Awarded by Type
State law requires the adult-use cannabis industry in Massachusetts to include participation by small and large participants. The Cannabis Control Commission offers applicants of all sizes the opportunity to contribute through a wide range of licenses types, including cultivators, craft marijuana cooperatives, product manufacturers, retailers, research facilities, independent testing laboratories and standard laboratories, transporters, and microbusinesses. Additional datasets can be found in our Data Catalog.
Please note that all data is self-reported. Commission Open Data disclaimer available here.
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