On Friday, Massachusetts legislators made progress on a number of significant changes to the state’s cannabis laws. If passed, they will be the first real changes to the state’s highly criticized laws, which have remained untouched since 2017, according to The Boston Globe. Though the changes are not expected to have much of an impact on consumers and patients, they will be crucial to reshaping the industry itself.
The first of the proposed changes would fix a long-time flaw in the current law that prevents cities and towns from hosting cannabis cafes and other “social consumption” facilities. As critics have noted, the lack of social consumption sites has left locals and tourists alike with no legal place to consume cannabis.
Another of the proposed changes aims to crack down on the excessive impact fees faced by local cannabis companies. Additionally, a portion of cannabis tax revenue will be set aside to help economically disadvantaged individuals enter the industry.
The Massachusetts Legislature’s joint committee on cannabis policy has already approved the bills with the changes listed above. The bills are now slated to hit the state’s full House and Senate for approval sometime this spring. With House Speaker Ron Marino already voicing his support, there is much hope that the bills will pass.
What do you think of the proposed changes to Massachusetts’ cannabis laws? Are there any cannabis laws you would like to see changed in your state? Let us know in the comments!
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