WORCESTER—The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission voted 3-0 on Tuesday to approve draft social consumption regulations, marking the end of an intensive review period in which Commissioners and staff made crucial changes to ensure a safe, successful rollout of the new license types.
Approval of the draft regulations—which include rules around what will be the first-ever regulated on-site cannabis-consumption events in the Commonwealth—kicks off the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s promulgation process, including a public comment period, public hearing, and final Commission vote in the fall.
An internal Commission working group led by Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins and former commissioner Nurys Camargo began its work in 2023, holding a series of public listening sessions on social consumption across the state. Working group members also met with stakeholders – including prospective businesses, equity licensees, law enforcement groups, municipal officials, and state leaders – and studied social consumption establishments in California, Michigan, Nevada, and Colorado, among other states…