Massachusetts gets a nearly statewide MMJ delivery service

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In Good Health – a medical marijuana dispensary located in Brockton, south of Boston – said it will launch a next-day home delivery service for patients that will cover most of Massachusetts.

The dispensary would become the first in Massachusetts to provide delivery to such a broad geographic area, according to The Boston Globe. The service is set to begin Monday.

In Good Health plans to to deliver marijuana buds, edibles and oils to patients anywhere in Massachusetts except the islands…

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Financial snafu could slow Massachusetts’ rec cannabis rollout

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The delays continue in Massachusetts’ quest to start a recreational marijuana program.

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg was awarded $300,000 by the state legislature to staff a cannabis oversight agency, but the money was sent to a reserve account that Goldberg can’t access, the Boston Business Journal reported.

The governmental misstep may further stall implementation of the state’s recreational marijuana industry.


Mirth ProvisionsGoldberg’s first request for funding for the Cannabis Control…

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Week in Review: Sessions’ cannabis remarks, Oxford MMJ research & odd pairing in MA

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By John Schroyer, Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey

Attorney General Jeff Sessions again criticizes marijuana without offering a clear policy plan, Oxford University receives millions to study medical cannabis, and Massachusetts liquor store owners are eyeing the rec MJ market.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Mixed messages

Attorney General Jeff Sessions – asked by a reporter if the federal government would be cracking down on…

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Massachusetts liquor stores eye rec cannabis licenses

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About 200 Massachusetts liquor store owners are considering applying for recreational marijuana business licenses in a bid to capitalize on the state’s new adult-use program.

If approved, the liquor stores’ entry would add a new wrinkle to the competitive landscape for the rec industry, which traditionally has been served by marijuana-focused retailers.

Liquor shop owners’ interest in pursuing adult-use retail licenses heightened after they received the backing of the Massachusetts…

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Cannabis public use measures could spur MJ sales, businesses

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By Bart Schaneman

From Alaska to Massachusetts, a number of states are weighing measures to allow people to consume cannabis in public places such as clubs and other venues.

Legalizing cannabis clubs and other venues for public consumption could spur MJ sales and create new business opportunities, said industry officials.

In particular, the move could lead to increased sales of marijuana flower. And it could give marijuana retailers an opportunity to add ancillary businesses – such as a coffee shop…

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MA lawmakers set hearings over new rec cannabis law

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A legislative battle over recreational marijuana could be on the way in Boston, with public hearings poised to begin.

State lawmakers are set on holding hearings, starting next week, to address possible tweaks to the recreational cannabis law approved by Massachusetts voters in November, a move that marijuana advocates are calling a “false narrative,” according to the Associated Press.

“The new law requires no legislative fixes,” Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the state’s rec…

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White House’s words won’t deter rec marijuana states

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By John Schroyer

Despite ominous overtones from the White House, the eight states that have legalized recreational cannabis are proceeding full-bore, whether it’s with existing infrastructures or plans to establish new markets.

Governors and attorneys general responded in unison: They’ll honor voters’ wishes, and conduct business as usual while awaiting specific policies.

The cannabis industry’s future was called into question Thursday when President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, said “greater enforcement” could…

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Two MA lawmakers to rewrite rec marijuana law

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A pair of Massachusetts lawmakers have been appointed to apparently rewrite the recreational marijuana legalization law approved by voters last November.

The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act is an initiated state statute, instead of an amendment to Massachusetts’ constitution. That means legislators still have the legal ability to make changes to the law, despite what was approved by voters.


Spring 2017 MJBizConAccording to TV station WWLP, pro-cannabis state Sen. Patricia Jehlen and state Rep. Mark Cusack, both Democrats, have been appointed to…

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Top four U.S. banks have had cannabis accounts, study shows

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Whether they know it or not, America’s four largest banks have held accounts for marijuana businesses, in contrast to public pronouncements that they steer clear of the cannabis industry.

An analysis by RB Monitor, a Chicago-based firm that pinpoints the risks financial institutions might face working with the cannabis industry, found that 29 of 84 applicants for marijuana business licenses in Massachusetts had an account with one of the nation’s big four banks: Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan or Wells Fargo.

Marijuana remains…

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MMJ company CannaKorp raises $5.7 million in 2016

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CannaKorp, a Massachusetts company that’s been dubbed the “Keurig for marijuana,” said it raised $4.1 million in its latest round of fundraising to help manufacture and distribute its pod-based medical cannabis vaporizing system.

For all of 2016, the company raised $5.7 million. The total includes an initial $1.6 million seed funding earlier that year, CannaKorp said in a news release.


Precision Extraction SolutionsThe company’s CannaCloud vaporizer is designed to allow medical cannabis patients to consume MMJ using a single-use, dose-controlled cup, or…

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Massachusetts delays start of recreational cannabis sales

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Massachusetts lawmakers have decided to push back the opening of recreational marijuana stores by six months, dealing a blow to the state’s adult-use industry and raising concerns about the possibility of additional delays going forward.

Under a legalization measure approved by residents last month, the first rec shops in Massachusetts were slated to open in January 2018.

But a handful of House and Senate lawmakers who showed up for informal sessions Wednesday voted to postpone the industry’s launch until June 2018.

Legislators said the…

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New Market: Massachusetts’ cannabis industry looks promising, but possible hurdles loom

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This is the fifth article in a series looking at the potential cannabis market in each of the eight states that approved recreational or medical marijuana initiatives in the 2016 election. Check back each week through mid-January for new entries. Click here for previous installments.

By Bart Schaneman

Massachusetts’ new recreational marijuana industry is expected to offer many opportunities for entrepreneurs – provided municipalities permit retail MJ stores and state lawmakers don’t slow or extensively revamp the program.

Last month, 54%…

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Week in Review: New life in Montana, rule tweaks in Oregon & obstacles in New England

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By Bart Schaneman and Omar Sacirbey 

Montana’s medical marijuana industry is reactivated, Oregon adjusts its testing regulations, and New England’s adult-use industry encounters obstacles.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Back from the dead

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Montana will be flipping their closed signs to open after a state judge gave the industry a new lease on life.

“We’re elated,” said Bob Devine, who owns a dispensary in Bozeman and is president of…

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MA lawmakers mull delay in rec marijuana law rollout

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Massachusetts State Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, a Democrat who favored adult-use legalization, confirmed that lawmakers are discussing a delay of in the rollout of the state’s recreational marijuana law that voters passed on Nov. 8.

He said all deadline dates were “on the table,” according to the Boston Globe. The reason? To give officials more time to craft regulations.


Marijuana Business License DirectorySome key dates include Dec. 15, when the new law says recreational cannabis can be legal to possess and consume for persons 21 years of age and older, and…

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Week in Review: 5 business takeaways from the landmark election

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By Omar Sacirbey and Bart Schaneman

Now that voters in seven additional states have legalized recreational or medical marijuana, business leaders and political observers are bullish about the potential for industry growth.

They point to greater opportunities through interstate expansion, increased investor interest in cannabis and greater innovation in technology and business strategies.

“People should feel good about these victories and the opportunities that legalization brings,” said Kris Krane, managing partner of 4Front Advisors, a…

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MA treasurer seeks delay in rec cannabis stores opening, tax hike

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While Gov. Governor Charlie Baker has promised to implement Massachusetts’ recreational marijuana law “briskly,” State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said she wants to delay the January 2018 target date for adult-use shops to open and would like to increase the 3.75% marijuana sales tax.

Goldberg’s view is important because – under the recreational marijuana initiative that Massachusetts voters approved 54%-46% – the treasurer is responsible for managing the state’s marijuana industry, including appointing the three members of a…

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Election Updates: Live coverage of marijuana measures across the country

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2016 cannabis elections

Marijuana Business Daily is providing live updates on cannabis ballot measures and related news (all updates in Eastern time).

2:30 a.m. Wednesday (Arizona, Maine, Montana): Three states with marijuana initiatives still hang in the balance, with Arizona’s rec measure on the ropes, Montana’s initiative well ahead and Maine’s adult-use measure a coin flip.

Here are the latest results from those three states:

Arizona: 48% “Yes,” with 82% of the votes reported

Montana: 56% “Yes,” with 63% of the votes reported

Maine: 50.5% “Yes,”…

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Rec MJ ballot measures ahead in three states, but by slim margins

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According to a trio of new polls released in cannabis battleground states, recreational marijuana legalization is ahead going into the final days of the 2016 campaign – but not by much.

In Arizona, support for a recreational cannabis legalization measure is at 50%, while about 43% of voters oppose the initiative and 8% haven’t made up their minds, according to an Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite News poll.


Conference Deadline ApproachingIn Massachusetts, rec is winning with 49% of voters supporting a legalization initiative; 42% oppose it and 9% are undecided,

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Week in Review: No takers for DEA cannabis research, MA NIMBYism, Oklahoma legalization vote

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By Omar Sacirbey, Bart Schaneman and John Schroyer

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has zero takers for medical marijuana-related research, Massachusetts dispensary NIMBYism could hit any rec legalization plans, and Oklahoma MMJ advocates want a 2017 vote.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

MMJ research? Not just yet

The possibility of more medical research into cannabis took another step forward when the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine began advertising that…

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Week In Review: MassRoots’ Woes, GW Pharma’s Good News & Pro-Legalization Polls

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By Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

MassRoots lands in financial hot water, GW Pharmaceuticals takes a step closer to winning U.S. approval for its marijuana-based drug, and a political veteran urges caution heading into the elections.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

MassRoots in Hot Water?

That’s the assessment of Nic Easley, the CEO of Denver’s 3C Consulting. He looked closely at the company’s situation following news that the cannabis-themed social network failed to…

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New MA Poll Shows Rec Marijuana Winning

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A new poll in Massachusetts shows 53% of state voters support a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana, with 40% opposed and 7% undecided.

The poll is the second in less than three weeks to show Massachusetts voters supporting the recreational marijuana legalization ballot measure, which they will decide on Nov. 8. That’s a dramatic shift from previous polls just a few months ago that showed voters split over the measure or rejecting it.


License Directory SidebarThe measure received majority support from every demographic group except voters who were…

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Major Marijuana-Related Campaign Donations Late in Campaign

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Proponents and opponents of cannabis legalization are gearing up for the final stretch of the 2016 political campaign, and for both camps that means some big last-minute donations.

In Florida, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson – who funded most of the anti-medical marijuana ads two years ago – has jumped back into the fray with a $1 million donation to Drug Free Florida, the Sunshine State News reported. Adelson, who is reportedly worth more than $30 billion, gave $5.5 million to fight MMJ legalization in 2014 in Florida. But Adelson so far…

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Week in Review: Michigan Medical Cannabis Firms in Limbo, MA to the Rescue, Alaska Crawls Ahead

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By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

Michigan medical marijuana businesses ponder their future under a new regulatory system, Massachusetts hopes to jump-start its MMJ program, and Alaska’s rec rollout proceeds at a snail’s pace.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Mulling Michigan

Michigan’s MMJ businesses wonder how life will change after lawmakers approved a statewide regulatory system for the industry. Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign the legislation.

What is clear: The…

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New Polls Show Rec MJ Winning in California, Massachusetts

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The campaigns to legalize adult-use cannabis in California and Massachusetts are well-positioned to win in November, a trio of polls released this week suggests.

In Massachusetts, a new poll by WBUR/MassINC has found that 50% of voters support the legalization initiative, Question 4, while 45% are opposed and 5% are undecided, MassLive.com reported. It’s the first public poll in months that has found the measure passing; two prior surveys had found Question 4 losing.

MJBizCrashCourseIn California, a pair of new polls have both found solid voter support,…

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Prominent Travel Writer: ‘Get Ready’ for Age of MJ Tourism

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One of the most well-known travel writers in the world, Arthur Frommer, predicted recently that cannabis tourism is going to become big business after the November election, when up to five more states could legalize recreational use.

If accurate, marijuana tourism would present additional opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the legalization of marijuana.

“The prospects seem strong that marijuana is now about to be added to beer and wine as a permissible product to order,” Frommer wrote in a column last week, the…

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Week in Review: Big Legal Victory, Nervous Credit Union & Unrequited Love in MA

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By Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

The marijuana industry scores a big legal victory, a credit union in Alaska gets cold feet, and a Massachusetts city nixes a controversial business deal with a medical cannabis dispensary.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

A Big Win … For Now

A federal appeals court in San Francisco this week sided with the legal marijuana industry against the U.S. Department of Justice, ruling the federal government couldn’t spend money to prosecute…

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MA Town Rejects Hundreds of Thousands From Dispensary

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A Massachusetts town has rejected a deal with a medical cannabis dispensary, in essence turning down hundreds of thousands of dollars in future revenue under the proposed terms.

The move by the city council leaves the town of Springfield without a dispensary, and arguably leaves intact a “pay to play” culture in Massachusetts’ medical marijuana industry.

Hampden Care Facility Inc. had agreed to pay $50,000 a year to the town’s police department, plus a percentage of its gross revenue, but the city council didn’t like that the…

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10 Massachusetts Lawmakers Endorse Rec Initiative

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Countering the Republican governor, the Democratic mayor of Boston, and numerous other public officials that are campaigning against adult use marijuana legalization in Massachusetts, a solid bloc of 10 state lawmakers on Thursday announced their support for the campaign that’s trying to get voters to approve recreational cannabis this November.

The ten, which were revealed in a press release on Thursday by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, are all endorsing Question 4, the initiative supported by the campaign and by the…

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Pay-to-Play in Massachusetts’ Medical Cannabis Industry?

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Massachusetts cities are getting increasingly wealthier off the backs of medical cannabis companies that are agreeing to pay municipalities sizable fees in exchange for the rights to do business, according to an investigation by the Boston Globe.

In the town of Worcester, for example, one dispensary agreed to shell out $450,000 over three years, as well as $200,000 afterwards, if local officials gave the company the green light.

In the town of Springfield, local officials are working on a deal that would get the municipality 7% of a…

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Week in Review: Florida CBD, Cannabis Legal Battles & Ominous Clouds in AZ, MA

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By John Schroyer and Omar Sacirbey

Florida’s long-awaited CBD industry approaches the launchpad, cannabis lawsuits make headlines, and recent polling numbers cast a dark cloud over recreational marijuana legalization in two states.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Florida, Finally

First to seed doesn’t necessarily mean first to sell.

Consider Florida, where in February Surterra Therapeutics in the southwestern part of the state became the first approved licensee to receive…

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New Poll Spells Bad News for Rec Legalization in MA

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More than half of registered voters in Massachusetts are against a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana for people 21 years of age and older, according to a survey by a conservative political action committee from Florida.

The poll by Gravis Marketing for Jobs First found that 51% of Bay State voters said they intend to vote against recreational marijuana legalization question. Another 41% of voters said they would support it, while 9% were undecided.

Massachusetts once seemed a strong prospect for rec legalization, but this is…

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Week in Review: Banking Scare, Marijuana Ballot Roundup & Water Rules in California

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By Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

An Illinois bank sparks fresh concerns about cannabis and financial institutions, the number of states with certified pro-marijuana ballot measures hits an all-time high, and California MJ growers face new water-use rules.

Here’s a closer look at some notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

Banking Scare?

Don’t panic! Just keep good track of your business.

That’s the message a prominent Illinois attorney and former regulatory czar is telling cannabis business and banking leaders…

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Montana, Massachusetts Marijuana Initiatives Make Ballot

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A recreational marijuana legalization initiative in Massachusetts and a measure to fully legalize medical dispensaries in Montana both qualified for the 2016 general election ballot this week.

The Massachusetts measure will appear on the ballot as Question 4, according to a statement from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. The secretary of state notified the campaign on Monday it had made the ballot, after overcoming a recent court challenge.

The Montana measure, known as Initiative 182, was certified for the ballot on…

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AmeriCann Invests $6.7M in Massachusetts MJ Facilities

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AmeriCann, a Denver medical marijuana company, is investing nearly $7 million in a dispensary and a grow facility in two southern coastal Massachusetts towns, according to the Taunton Gazette.

The cultivation technology and real estate company is under contract to purchase a nearly 1 million-square-foot site for a medical marijuana grow and processing facility in the town of Freetown for $4.15 million; the deal is scheduled to close May 16. Publicly traded AmeriCann plans to lease the…

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Massachusetts Vaporizer Company Raises $1.6 Million

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An upstart Massachusetts company focused on the cannabis market announced it has raised $1.6 million from angel investors to develop its flagship vaporizer.

CannaKorp says its vaporizer will deliver medical cannabis in a single-use, dose-controlled cup – similar to a smaller version of the coffee pod.

It’s been dubbed the “Keurig for marijuana,” a reference to the single-serve coffee maker. CannaKorp also recently recruited a former senior vice president with Keurig – Dave…

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MA Business Group Comes Out Against Legalization

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Massachusetts’ largest employer trade group has come out against marijuana legalization, joining a growing list of influential organizations and individuals that are opposing an attempt to pass adult-use cannabis in the state.

The expanding anti-legalization coalition underscores that success at the ballot box is by no means guaranteed, even though overall support for marijuana legalization in the country is growing.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts announced this week that 62% of its…

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Week in Review: Oregon MJ Boost, Support for Vermont Rec Bill & New York Blues

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By Omar Sacirbey and John Schroyer

Oregon dispensaries get some great news, Vermont’s governor throws his weight behind a recreational marijuana bill, and New York’s fledgling MMJ program continues to struggle.

Here’s a closer look at several notable developments in the marijuana industry over the past week.

More Relief in Oregon

Medical dispensaries in Oregon are rejoicing this week, as they should be.

On Tuesday, the state’s governor signed into law a bill that, among other things,…

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Vermont Governor Criticizes Massachusetts Rec Initiative

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A battle is brewing between two New England states over which has the better cannabis legalization proposal.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin said a recreational legalization bill recently approved by his state’s Senate and now being considered by its House of Representatives is superior to a recreational legalization ballot measure in Massachusetts that backers expect to have before voters in November.

The difference? Massachusetts’ ballot measure permits edibles, smoking lounges, and home…

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Massachusetts Municipalities Strong-Arming Cannabis Businesses?

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Thanks to a provision in the official application for marijuana business licenses in Massachusetts, municipalities in the Bay State have been able to squeeze cash, donations and other perks from cannabis entrepreneurs, according to Boston.com.

Applications require aspiring marijuana business owners to include a so-called “letter of non-opposition” from town councils showing they don’t oppose the business from settling within their borders. In Massachusetts, growers and dispensaries are…

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Rec and MMJ Infighting Continues in Massachusetts

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A battle in Massachusetts between recreational marijuana supporters and some of their medical marijuana counterparts is getting increasingly heated, and could have ramifications for rec legalization in the state.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol announced its intention to protest the opening of the Commonwealth Alternative Care dispensary in Cambridge, because the company head has been organizing opposition to its proposed ballot measure, according to Wicked Local Cambridge.

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Report Offers Regulatory Recommendations on Recreational Cannabis in Massachusetts

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By Omar Sacirbey

Less than a week after a trio of high-level politicians in Massachusetts bashed recreational marijuana legalization, a special committee of nine state senators weighed in on the issue as well by releasing a 118-page report on Tuesday. 

But instead of coming out against a measure to legalize adult-use in Massachusetts – as the governor, state attorney general and mayor of Boston did – the report laid out a series of recommendations on how the industry should be…

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Boston Council Approves Restrictive MJ Retail Zoning Law

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Real estate in Boston for marijuana retailers – both medical and recreational – could become a more precious commodity under a new zoning ordinance approved by the city council this week.

The new ordinance would require dispensaries (and rec shops, in the event that the state legalizes adult use cannabis in November) to be at least a half mile away from each other, according to the Boston Globe. The reason behind it, councilman Michael Flaherty said, is to make sure that cannabis…

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Massachusetts MMJ Bottleneck Moves From State to Local Level

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By Omar Sacirbey

The opening of two new dispensaries in Massachusetts since the start of the year has buoyed hopes that the state’s medical cannabis industry has moved past a serious bottleneck and that more storefronts will launch in the coming months.

Don’t count on it.

Observers expect that only a handful of new dispensaries will open between now and the end of the year, as many businesses are running into issues at the local level.

What’s more, at least a few dispensaries that are…

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Legalization Advocates Protest MA Dispensary Opening

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For perhaps the first time in history, cannabis advocates lined up outside a new medical marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts…not to welcome it, but to protest it.

Why? Because they say a lobbyist tied to the dispensary’s parent company opposes ending prohibition on adult-use marijuana.

Lobbyist Dan Delaney, who is employed by the parent company of the Lowell, Massachusetts, dispensary Patriot Care, recently started a group that is seeking to counter a recreational legalization…

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MA Raises Amount of Cannabis Patients Can Buy

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Dispensaries in Massachusetts are now allowed to sell more than double the amount of medical marijuana to patients than they could before.

State health officials raised the amount of medicine that medical marijuana patients can buy to up to 10 ounces every two months, from 4.23 ounces for the same time frame. Health officials changed the rules on Friday after state regulators determined that testing labs are now capable of ensuring product safety, according to the Boston Globe.

Previous…

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Product Shortage and High Demand in Massachusetts

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The four dispensaries open to date in Massachusetts are having a hard time keeping up with demand, especially because they can’t get enough inventory to satisfy all of the registered patients clamoring for cannabis.

According to The Boston Globe, the quartet of dispensaries are all facing various problems that have caused them to fall short when it comes to delivering product. For one, it’s a supply problem. For another, an unexpected attack of mold prior to harvest forced the dispensary…

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MMJ Lobbyist Organizing Opposition to MA Rec Campaign

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A new threat to legalizing recreational cannabis in Massachusetts has emerged, and from a curious source: the medical marijuana establishment itself.

Daniel Delaney, a registered lobbyist for the dispensary company Patriot Care and for at least one other that is attempting to get a MMJ license, recently formed a campaign committee called Safe Cannabis Massachusetts for the express purpose of defeating the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), according to Boston.com.

It’s a…

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Massachusetts Could Become Major Marijuana Business Hub if Legalization Succeeds

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By Omar Sacirbey

If Massachusetts legalizes recreational cannabis next year as some expect, the state could become one of the biggest marijuana markets in the country.

Bigger than Colorado and Washington State, even.

Massachusetts’ dense population and proximity to New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other large markets – coupled with widespread use of marijuana and the state’s popularity among tourists – could help the industry get off to a rapid start and generate hundreds of…

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Vaporizer Startup Names Former Keurig Exec as New CEO

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A new vaporizer company based in Boston has named Dave Manly, a former senior vice president with the coffee brewing system producer Keurig, as its new chief executive officer.

The Massachusetts-based CannaKorp, which produces a vaporizer system called the CannaCloud, made the announcement in a press release Thursday. Manly was an executive with Keurig for 13 years before retiring from that position.

Manly’s resume also includes stints at Lojack Stolen Vehicle Recovery, Boston Whaler Boats,…

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MA Senators Will Visit Colorado to Study MJ Regulations

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If Massachusetts voters wind up legalizing recreational cannabis next year at the ballot, the state’s regulatory system may wind up looking a lot like Colorado’s.

With the Bay State poised to legalize rec marijuana next November, 10 Massachusetts state senators will spend a week in Colorado in January with the aim of prepping themselves if they need to oversee a new rec market. (And they’re hardly the first to visit Colorado to learn about how to regulate cannabis.)

The leader of the…

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