Nine years after Massachusetts voters legalized recreational marijuana use, state regulators took a major step toward allowing people to buy and use cannabis on site at licensed venues and events.
The original 2016 ballot law envisioned the creation of “social consumption” sites, but publicly accessible cannabis cafes and lounges are not yet available in Massachusetts.
On Thursday, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission unanimously approved a final set of regulations that will eventually clear the way for such businesses to open. As Commissioner Kimberly Roy cast her vote, she said the CCC was “honoring the will of the voters today.”
Commissioners said they expect the regulations to officially be on the books by January, but cautioned that there’s still a long road ahead.
“Let’s send a message you can’t run right out after these are voted upon and start having consumption events in your retail space,” Commissioner Bruce Stebbins said before the vote.
Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien said there are lots of discussions to come with cities and towns that may host social consumption businesses, sketching out a timeline where it could take months to over a year before the first licensees are up and running.
“I’m hoping that some of these things can go more quickly, but there is a lot of work to do with the municipalities to make sure that they are ready, because there’s going be a lot of regulatory framework that is going to be be controlled by municipalities,” she told reporters.
Social consumption sites create an opportunity for people to use cannabis when they prefer to do so in a group setting or simply can’t at home, whether they’re visiting from out-of-state, rent from a landlord who forbids marijuana, or live in public housing.
Twelve other states allow on-site cannabis consumption at regulated locations, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.
“This is a little bit of a brave new world,” O’Brien said. “We don’t really know. We know what our local pub looks like, but we don’t really understand what this looks like.”
The new regulations will create three types of social consumption licenses: one for existing marijuana retailers who want to open a lounge or tasting room on-site, one for non-cannabis businesses, and a temporary event license for marijuana establishments.
The regulations feature what commissioners have described as health and safety guardrails, including staff training requirements and measures designed to prevent overconsumption.
The vote comes after a series of public listening sessions and a 2022 state law change that allowed the commission to focus on on launching social consumption broadly, instead of limiting their initial foray to a 12-community pilot program.
The regulations were expected to be finalized earlier this year, but faced delays amid changes to the CCC’s membership. A court ordered O’Brien’s reinstatement after state Treasurer Deb Goldberg fired her. A new commissioner, Carrie Benedon, joined the panel in November.
