MA House Passes Bill to Revamp CCC, Raise Cap on Retail Cannabis Licenses, Increase Purchase Limits, Regulate Hemp Products

The MA House of Representatives last week advanced a reform bill making a number of changes to the laws relative to cannabis in the Commonwealth, including an overhaul of the industry regulatory agency, the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).  The bill passed unanimously, 153-0.
 
H.4206, An Act modernizing the commonwealth’s cannabis laws, reduces the size of the CCC board from five to three commissioners, all of whom will be appointed by the governor.  The consolidation of appointing authority under the Executive Branch is a significant change from the current structure, where appointments are made by the governor, the attorney general, and the treasurer, with the treasurer appointing the chair of the board. 
 

The bill increases the purchase and possession limit from one to two ounces of marijuana and directs the CCC to establish an equivalent possession limit across all product types.  RAM had recently advocated in support of an increase in purchase limits before the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy.

 
The bill also raises the existing cap on retail licenses that any one entity can control from the current limit of three to six over a period of three years.  And the legislation proposes to regulate and tax hemp products, requiring all products to be registered with the CCC.  The sale of hemp-based beverages would only be permitted to be sold by retailers licensed to sell alcohol by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC).  Regarding medical marijuana, the bill eliminates the vertical integration requirement under current law.

 
The bill is now pending before the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.