Although voters approved legalized marijuana on election day, Massachusetts lawmakers face the challenge of figuring out how to regulate it.
Beacon Hill doesn’t return to formal session until January, but residents can start growing marijuana starting December 15 — up to twelve plants per household. However, that date could get pushed back up, since election results might not be formally approved until later.
Key lawmakers haven’t been shy about suggesting changes to the new law, including lowering the number of plants allowed per household. The big players — Governor Charlie Baker, Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Stanley Rosenberg — agree they’re going to at least raise the taxes on legal marijuana sales. They want to use the revenue to pay for new regulatory systems, safety studies, and police training.
The legislature is also discussing pushing back the timeline on when retail shops can open to buy more time to get a regulatory structure in place. Elected officials want to add restrictions to packaging, content labeling, and retail locations — all the parts that go into establishing a new cannabis industry. Finally, some lawmakers want to see limits on edible cannabis products. Other states allow everything from gummies to pasta sauce packed with THC, right in a retail store.
In terms of public safety, police are concerned about driving while high. They want the law to give them ways to determine who’s too intoxicated to drive.
