7 Annual
th
Activities Report
October 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LEGISLATIVE MANDATE .......................................................................................................... 3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 4
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 5
IMPLEMENTATION OF ADULT- AND MEDICAL-USE MARIJUANA PROGRAMS ......... 6
Law .............................................................................................................................................. 6
Licensing ..................................................................................................................................... 8
Enforcement .............................................................................................................................. 10
Communications........................................................................................................................ 13
Equity Programming and Community Outreach ....................................................................... 17
Constituent Services .................................................................................................................. 22
Government Affairs and Policy................................................................................................. 24
Legal .......................................................................................................................................... 26
Finance ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Revenue ..................................................................................................................................... 29
Personnel ................................................................................................................................... 30
Research .................................................................................................................................... 30
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 33
LEGISLATIVE MANDATE
Under Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017, An Act to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana (Act),
the Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) is charged with implementing the statutory and
regulatory schemes governing the adult-use, and now medical-use, marijuana programs. The
following report is issued pursuant to Section 31 of the Act, which provides in relevant part:
“The commission shall annually submit a complete and detailed report of the commission’s
activities, including a review of the implementation and enforcement of this chapter and the
governance structure established in this chapter, not more than 90 days after the end of the fiscal
year to the governor, the attorney general, the treasurer and receiver-general, the clerks of the
house of representatives and the senate, the chairs of the joint committee on marijuana policy and
the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means.” St. 2017, c. 55, § 31.
On November 9, 2022, Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022 came into effect, marking the first-
time major changes were made to the Commission’s governing legislation. This new law addressed
the Commission’s policy recommendations by entrusting the agency with new oversight and
bringing clarity to the terms of Host Community Agreements (HCAs), creating a publicly
administered social equity trust fund administered by the Executive Office of Economic
Development, and adopting a technical change to allow municipalities to opt-in to host social
consumption licenses within their borders. It also requires cities and towns to incorporate equitable
policies at the local licensing level, eliminates certain suitability restrictions that prevented
prospective agents with certain criminal backgrounds from participating in the industry, and
codifies Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation Social Equity Program (SEP), among other fixes. The
Commission promulgated regulations pertaining to HCAs, minimum standards for local equity,
and Marijuana Establishment agent suitability on October 27, 2023, ahead of the legislative
deadline. Since October, the Commission has been implementing the changes into policies,
procedures and documents.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Purpose
This report provides information regarding the implementation, under the Act, of the adult-
use marijuana program pursuant to the aforementioned legislation, inclusive of the Medical Use
of Marijuana Program, which the Commission successfully transferred from the Department of
Public Health on December 24, 2018 with 47 Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MTCs),
roughly 57,000 patients and 7,000 personal caregivers. Activities contained herein cover the 2023
fiscal year. Data included in the report are the most recent available as of June 30, 2024, unless
stated otherwise.
Findings
The Commission has built upon its legislative mandate to implement a successful adult-
use marijuana industry and Medical Use of Marijuana Program and has matured beyond a startup
organization. To that end, the agency continues to make significant progress in priority areas
identified by the Legislature and is well prepared to implement and execute critical new statutes
while continuing to serve as a national leader in promoting public health and safety in the industry
and building an inclusive marketplace.
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INTRODUCTION
Within the evolving landscape of the licensed cannabis industry, the Commission is
committed to providing responsible oversight and comprehensive regulation to uphold public
health and safety and for a sustainable and equitable industry. The previous year has marked a
pivotal chapter in the Commission’s history due to the implementation of major, critical updates
in state laws regarding municipal equity requirements, oversight of HCAs, and new abilities for
municipalities to opt-in to allow for social consumption licensing within their borders. It also
included significant milestones, such as back-to-back record setting months of Marijuana Retail
sales in June, July and August 2023, culminating in more than $6 billion in aggregate gross adult-
use sales in August.
Established in September 2017, the mission of the Commission is to honor the will of
Massachusetts voters by safely, equitably, and effectively implementing and administering the
laws enabling access to medical and adult-use marijuana in the Commonwealth.
The Commission is led by five Commissioners who craft policy and vote on applications
for licensure. These include four Commissioners who were appointed in 2021—Nurys Camargo,
Bruce Stebbins, Ava Callender Concepcion, and Kimberly Roy—as well as Chair Shannon
O’Brien, who was appointed in September 2022. In September 2023, Commissioner Concepcion
was appointed Acting Chair by her peers in the absence of the appointed Chair. In November
2023, the Commission appointed Chief People Officer Debra Hilton-Creek as the Acting
Executive Director.
The Commission has continued to evolve and grow since its inception seven years ago.
Last year, the Commission began reviewing its governance structure to solidify and refine agency
processes and procedures that will outlast the individuals who have been instrumental in getting
the organization off the ground and building upon its foundation. To comply with the Open
Meeting Law, which protects mediation sessions, Commissioners voted in April 2022 to “have the
Commission participate in mediation between the Commissioners and staff leadership, for the
purpose of finding common ground and obtaining buy-in from all parties, in our efforts to establish
a durable and effective governance structure.” Since then, all Commissioners have engaged in this
process and a draft Governance Charter outlining a clear governance structure for the Commission
was released on July 11. The Commission is in the process of refining this document with the aim
of approving a durable Governance Charter.
The Acting Executive Director, Acting Chair Ava Concepcion, Commissioner Bruce
Stebbins, and staff from various departments serve on the Executive Director Search
Subcommittee – the panel tasked with hiring and onboarding the agency’s next Executive Director.
The Commission’s successful implementation of a hybrid public meeting structure with
remote access for the public ensures inclusivity and accessibility. Operating from headquarters in
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Worcester and a satellite office in Boston, physical assemblies, conferences, and speaking
engagements persist across the Commonwealth with Commission representatives effectively
engaging in a hybrid operational framework.
This year’s annual report presents a comprehensive analysis of the initiatives, challenges,
achievements, and prospects that have defined the Massachusetts cannabis landscape throughout
the past year. The Commission has not only continued to shape the industry's upward trajectory
but has also upheld its commitment to public health and safety, social equity, and business vitality.
From regulatory advancements to economic empowerment endeavors, from analyzing market
trends to increasing public engagement, the Commission has taken a multifaceted approach to keep
the Commonwealth at the forefront of responsible cannabis compliance.
IMPLEMENTATION OF ADULT- AND MEDICAL-USE MARIJUANA PROGRAMS
Law
Promulgation of Regulations
On March 23, 2018, the first iteration of regulations, 935 Code Mass. Regs. § 500.000:
Adult Use of Marijuana, were published in the Massachusetts Register. On December 24, 2018,
the Medical Use of Marijuana Program successfully transferred from the Department of Public
Health to the Commission, as was mandated by Section 64 of the Act. The Commission then
promulgated 935 CMR 501.000: Medical Use of Marijuana and 935 CMR 502.000: Colocated
Adult Use and Medical Use Marijuana Operations. On January 8, 2021, the Commission
promulgated amendments to 935 CMR 500.000: Adult Use of Marijuana and 935 CMR 501.000:
Medical Use of Marijuana; and repealed 935 CMR 502.000: Colocated Adult-use and Medical-
use Marijuana Operations, which was incorporated, as applicable, in 935 CMR 500.000 and 935
CMR 501.000. St. 2022, c. 180, An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry. Chapter 180
went into effect on November 9, 2022, and further amends M.G.L. c. 94G. The Commission filed
new regulations implementing changes outlined in Chapter 180 with the Secretary of State’s
Regulations Division on October 27, 2023. The Commission is also currently working on another
round of revisions to the regulations adding in additional opportunities for microbusinesses,
removing restrictions for delivery operators and providing additional access for medical patients.
Guidance
In addition to its regulations, the Commission regularly drafts, revises, and adopts guidance
for licensing and other administrative processes implicated by its legislative mandate. To date, the
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Commission has published 20 guidance documents, and three protocols designed to assist
consumers, patients, applicants, business owners, equity programming participants, and local
officials. Guidance documents are available on the Commission’s website at
https://masscannabiscontrol.com/public-documents/guidance-documents/.
After promulgation of new regulations, the Commission reviews and updates guidance
documents to ensure the public has adequate resources to understand the new requirements. The
Commission continues to issue guidance documents from time to time as matters arise to aid the
public in complying with the various regulations or avoiding public health risks.
Implementation of Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022
On October 27, 2023, the Commission promulgated historic new adult and medical use of
marijuana regulations in accordance with Chapter 180 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Relative to
Equity in the Cannabis Industry. These regulations include new requirements relative to the
agency’s oversight of HCAs, minimum equity standards for host communities and municipalities,
and reforms to the Commission’s suitability standards and review.
The Commission has published a Model HCA and HCA Waiver to assist licensees and host
communities in adopting an agreement that complies with these new regulatory requirements.
Since March 1, 2024, the Commission has received 304 HCAs as part of the license application
and renewal process including executed Model HCAs and HCA Waivers. The Commission’s
oversight of HCAs includes:
• The review, approval, and certification of HCAs;
• The authority to deem an HCA provision invalid or unenforceable, or voidable; and
• The authority to issue sanctions against a host community that is noncompliant with HCA
regulatory requirements, abstain from considering new license applications in that host
community, or publish a list of communities that are out of compliance.
In furtherance of the state’s efforts to increase equity in the licensed cannabis industry, the
Commission published a Model Municipal Equity By-Law or Ordinance Template, along with a
Guidance on Municipal Equity and Industry Participation, to assist Host Communities with
establishing local licensing policies that support meaningful participation in Massachusetts’
marketplace by communities that have been disproportionately harmed by previous marijuana
prohibition and enforcement.
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Licensing
Through the legalization of adult-use marijuana in the Commonwealth, the Legislature
required the Commission to certify priority applicants, license Marijuana Establishments, register
agents, and approve applicants for a Social Equity Program. To that end, the Commission and its
vendors designed and implemented the Massachusetts Cannabis Industry Portal (MassCIP) as an
electronic registration system, and Metrc, the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system of record.
As of January 2020, the administration of the medical marijuana program shifted from the
previously responsible Department of Public Health to the Commission. With this transition, the
electronic application, licensing, and agent registration through MassCIP
extended to include MTCs.
Priority Applicants
Between April 17, 2018, and May 22, 2018, the Commission offered an application process
for economic empowerment priority certification in accordance with state law. In total, the
Commission received 322 submitted applications and ultimately granted priority certification to
81 MTC applicants and 122 EEAs. As of July 2024, the Commission has issued 28 commence
operations approvals to economic empowerment priority applicants and 51 commence operations
approvals to SEP participants, enabling them to begin various licensing operations in the
Commonwealth.
Provisional and Final Licensees
As of July 2024, the Commission had received 1,782 license applications for adult-use
Marijuana Establishments (MEs). At the time of this report, Commission staff are reviewing 206
adult-use license applications and further reviewing and inspecting 13 provisional licensees. The
following is a summary breakdown of the 1,782 ME and MTC license applications fully submitted
to the Commission as of July 2024:
• 259 MTC Priority Applicants (which, according to state law, is an MTC previously
approved by the Department of Public Health when it administered the Medical Use of
Marijuana Program and had at least obtained an MTC provisional license as of April 1,
2018);
• 135 EEAs (as certified by the Commission in 2018 in accordance with state-mandated
timelines);
• 347 SEP Applicants (as approved through the Commission’s Social Equity Program);
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 • 680 Expedited Applicants (as allowed through Commission policy approved in November
2019 as part of a process for certain businesses to receive expedited review. These
applicants consist of minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses as certified by the
Supplier Diversity Office as well as Independent Testing Laboratories, Outdoor
Cultivators. Marijuana Microbusinesses, and Craft Marijuana Cooperatives. SEP
Participant Applicants also receive expedited review.); and
• 722 General Applicants which do not meet any of the aforementioned criteria.
As of July 2024, 673 licensees have received notices from the Commission that authorize
them to commence business operations in the Commonwealth, another 57 entities currently
possess final licenses, and 560 have been approved for provisional licenses. Each year, the
licensing team has authorized more businesses to commence operations and approved more final
licenses than the previous year.
Closures
Of the 673 adult-use ME licenses the Commission has authorized to commence operations,
37 licenses, or 5.4%, have either surrendered, not renewed their license, or have had their license
revoked/voided by the agency and are no longer operating in Massachusetts.
Adult-use Marijuana Retailers, which are the most sought-after license type, have seen
even fewer closures. Since November 2018, 367 dispensaries have been approved to commence
operations and open their doors to adult-use cannabis consumers in Massachusetts. Only nine
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licensees, or 2.4% have either surrendered or not renewed their license, leaving 358 active and
operational Marijuana Retailers in the Commonwealth.
Changes of Ownership (Entities)
Between July 2023 and July 2024, Enforcement staff has made approximately