EVERY JUNE, rainbow flags are flown in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. The colors light up buildings and landmarks, and companies from all sectors market products that celebrate Pride Month. While cannabis companies are no exception, they align much more authentically with Pride than others because of their deep connection to one another as long-time […]
Marijuana
Posted inEconomy, Government, Marijuana
Social consumption cannabis plans get a retooling
IT’S BEEN SEVEN YEARS since Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana, but there’s still a lengthy road ahead before someone can sit down in a cannabis cafe, pop an edible or break out a joint, and wind down after a long day. That road got a bit shorter on Monday, however, with industry regulators voting to scrap […]
Posted inMarijuana, State Government
Cannabis licensing snafu over O’Brien much ado about nothing
THE CANNABIS Control Commission unanimously approved a final license for Greenfield Greenery on Thursday, resolving a months-long delay resulting from questions about whether Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien properly removed herself from ownership of the company. A commission investigation concluded that O’Brien and Greenfield Greenery both did everything properly in removing O’Brien from her ownership position. […]
Posted inMarijuana
Plummeting prices destabilize Mass. marijuana market
ON A RECENT DAY, a Brockton customer looking for some marijuana could have bought one-eighth of an ounce of LA Kush Cake flower for just $20 at Commonwealth Alternative Care. Nearby, Legal Greens was advertising one-eighth of an ounce of Jet Fuel flower for $25, according to the marijuana marketing website Leafly. The prices are […]
Posted inMarijuana, State Government
Board named for social equity marijuana loan fund
THE BOARD that will oversee the state’s new fund to help social equity cannabis businesses will be comprised of a diverse group of individuals, who represent various segments of the industry that they hope to help. Appointments to the five-member board were finalized last week by then-Gov. Charlie Baker; then-Attorney General Maura Healey, who is now […]
Posted inMarijuana
Lantern closure shakes marijuana delivery market
THERE’S ANOTHER major shakeup coming in the already-struggling marijuana delivery industry, with the impending closure of one of the largest marketing websites in Massachusetts. Lantern, a website where consumers can go to order legal cannabis delivered from a local dispensary, announced Wednesday that it will shut down by the end of January, citing regulatory hurdles […]
Posted inMarijuana
Marijuana content labels can’t be trusted
ONE OF THE main arguments in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana was that consumers would have access to tested, regulated products, and know exactly what they are buying. But a CommonWealth investigation reveals that the potency levels listed on websites and product labels at marijuana stores are regularly inflated, sometimes by as much as a […]
Posted inMarijuana, State Government, State House News Service
Cannabis commission seeks 23% budget increase
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MEMBERS OF THE Cannabis Control Commission voted to approve a fiscal year 2024 budget request of more than $23.7 million, including 26 new hires and $1.5 million to fund public awareness campaigns called for in this summer’s cannabis industry reform law. Fiscal 2024 does not start until July 1, 2023, but […]
Posted inMarijuana
Boston marijuana shop opens with construction workers unpaid
ON ITS WEBSITE, Newbury Street marijuana retailer Rooted In touts its commitment to social justice, equity, and the Boston area community. It boasts of profit sharing with employees and a commitment to building generational wealth for people of color. “Our mission is to build a community-conscious cannabis business committed to engaging, serving, and benefiting members […]
Posted inMarijuana
Dairy farmers losing out in O’Brien pot licensing flap
A MONTH AGO, the Cannabis Control Commission deferred consideration of a license for a marijuana farm that Cannabis Control Commission chair Shannon O’Brien was previously involved with, to avoid concerns about a conflict of interest. But the farmers at the center of the high-profile dispute say they did everything regulators asked for – and the […]