Massachusetts Signs Off on Cannabis Industry Rules
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]C[/dropcap]annabis regulators in Massachusetts just officially signed off on rules for its new industry.
According to Mass Live, Steve Hoffman, chairman of the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, said that Massachusetts is still on track to open retail cannabis shops by mid-summer. He also said that the commission is also expanding in terms of person power and technology in order to be able to process applications and deal with the emerging industry.
“As I said, we need to make sure our staff is in place; we need to make sure we have our technology in place, but our intent is to have a ‘go’ on July 1. And we are hitting all of the deadlines that we have in the legislation. So I’m feeling good about that,” Hoffman said.
In preparation for these openings, Michigan’s Cannabis Control Commission voted on final regulations for the industry. Some of the items that were decided on were warning labels for all products containing cannabis, and a secret shopper program that would help ensure that stores are in compliance. In an interesting twist of legislation, they also decided that anyone who has been convicted of trafficking drugs other than cannabis, including heroin, cocaine, morphine, opioids, fentanyl, phenmetrazine and meth, would be barred from a position in the industry.
“I think the Commission has done a laudable job in making sure that the regulations are in place in a timely manner, and for the most part they seem to be very workable regulations,” said Will Luzier, political director of the Marijuana Policy Project of Massachusetts.
Now that voters have legalized recreational cannabis in Massachusetts, recreational products will soon be celebrated but only as long as residents follow the rules. No smoking will be tolerated on the workplace, and only places that adhere to these new guidelines will be approved to open. With this attitude, it looks like the New England state is set for success when it comes to legal cannabis.
