Municipalities may implement their own licensing process, as long as it does not conflict with state laws and regulations governing MEs and MTCs.

Applicants must complete the following steps to become an operational ME or MTC:

1. 1. Facilitate a Community Outreach Meeting that must be conducted within the past six months of application submission.
   2. Sign a Host Community Agreement (HCA) or HCA Waiver with with the municipality.
   3. Demonstrate that its location and facility comply with local zoning bylaws and ordinances.
   4. Complete the Cannabis Control Commission’s (Commission’s) application process, be granted a license, and receive a notice to commence operations.

A municipality should score prospective Marijuana Establishments before entering into a Host Community Agreement with them. For more information on scoring, please visit HCA Standard Evaluation Template Form.

Once a completed application is received from a prospective Marijuana Establishment, the Commission will notify the municipality via email. The municipality will have 60 days from receipt of the notification to notify the Commission that the applicant is not in compliance with local ordinances or bylaws. If the applicant is a Social Equity Business or a business controlled by and with majority ownership comprised of Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants (EEA) or Social Equity Program (SEP) Participants, the municipality will have 30 days from the receipt of the application to notify the Commission that the applicant is not in compliance with local ordinances or bylaws.

If the Commission issues a provisional license and the applicant does not yet have local permits or licenses, the applicant must seek necessary local permits or licenses prior to requesting a final license.

A final license may be issued by the Commission once the applicant has passed all the necessary Commission inspections, including a demonstration that all necessary local permits and licenses have been granted.

For More Information

Guidance for Municipalities

Guidance on Municipal Equity & Industry Participation

Guidance on Host Community Agreements

Model Host Community Agreement Template

Host Community Agreement Waiver Form

Model Municipal Equity By-Law or Ordinance Template

Questions about the licensing process?

Contact the Commission at 774-415-0200 or Commission@CCCMass.com.