That pungent scent of weed will quickly be wafting from pot cafes.
The Hashish Management Fee unanimously permitted laws governing websites the place folks may eat marijuana merchandise in social settings however it might take some time for websites to be established.
The principles define how marijuana could be legally consumed at occasions and social settings, authorizing companies with licenses to let prospects use their merchandise on web site whether or not it’s at lounges, dispensaries or yoga studios.
“Today we honored the will of the Massachusetts voters, and they voted for this in 2016. Here we are, almost in 2026 and we got it across the finish line,” commissioner Kimberly Roy mentioned throughout a press convention after the vote. “Today is another milestone in the Massachusetts cannabis industry.”
Fee Chair Shannon O’Brien agreed.
“The important thing is, this is the will of the voters,” O’Brien mentioned. “Some people may have some concerns, because this is a little bit of a brave new world. We don’t really know. We know what our local pub looks like, but we don’t really understand what this looks like.”
Commissioners estimate that companies can start serving hashish on-site in as much as 18 months. That’s based mostly on the rollout of hashish supply licenses when it took six months till a licensee filed an utility. As soon as the functions have been acquired, it took 11 further months earlier than the licensees started working.
Fee employees count on the laws can be filed with the Secretary of State by Dec. 19 and promulgated on Jan. 2, 2026.
Municipalities should decide in to permitting social consumption companies and develop their very own requirements of observe. Roy mentioned a number of communities have expressed curiosity in permitting social consumption together with Cambridge, Chelsea, Fitchburg, Somerville, Haverhill, Holyoke, Provincetown and Worcester.
Fee Chair Shannon O’Brien mentioned the fee would additionally proceed work with municipalities over the following six months to gauge which of them would decide in.
“I’m hoping that some of these things can go more quickly,” O’Brien mentioned. “But there is a lot of work to do with the municipalities to make sure that they are ready, because there’s going to be a lot of regulatory framework that is going to be controlled by municipalities, a lot of applications that’s going to be managed by them.”
Commissioners are additionally a part of a number of working teams together with one for native advisory to assist metropolis and city leaders with the laws, public consciousness and a bunch centered on accountable vendor coaching.
Three several types of social consumption licenses can be found below the laws. One is a “supplemental” license for present marijuana companies to supply prospects to eat merchandise they’ve bought on-site; a “hospitality” license class would permit for on-site consumption at new or present non-cannabis companies like yoga studios or theaters; and an “event organizer” license class would permit for short-term on-site consumption at occasions like rallies and festivals.
O’Brien mentioned the laws have been modified from the draft launched in late July to eliminate “unnecessary regulatory burdens,” permit retailers to usher in extra income and assist companies to maintain shoppers if they’re over-served.
For instance, O’Brien mentioned the permitted laws permit retailers to promote shelf-stable snacks, which presents a brand new type of income. Additionally, retailers can provide what’s known as “THC inhibitors,” which may also help cut back signs and reactions for many who really feel like they’ve consumed an excessive amount of marijuana.
The laws require licensees to supply prospects meals and ban alcohol gross sales inside the similar space so there is no such thing as a “co-mingling” of gear. Alcohol could be bought below the identical roof as hashish, however they should be bought in numerous areas, Roy mentioned.
Roy famous there are a number of provisions aimed toward guaranteeing secure hashish consumption.
These embrace coaching “budtenders,” or these serving hashish on web site, to acknowledge indicators of impairment. Additionally, the sale of hashish merchandise should finish half-hour earlier than a enterprise closes and licensees should have permitted transportation plans to assist prospects who could also be too impaired to drive residence.
Licensees additionally need to get a public security plan permitted by each the fee and native officers.
Commissioner Bruce Stebbins mentioned that in listening periods on the proposed laws, “there was a chorus” from public well being and security stakeholders to coach these working at consumption websites. Particularly, they wished coaching for recognizing impaired prospects, easy methods to assist those that may need an opposed response to hashish and checking buyer identifications.
Stebbins mentioned social consumption will provide financial alternatives for the state.
“I’m excited, obviously, the opportunity to create more jobs, obviously the opportunity for more revenue for cities and towns and the Commonwealth, the opportunity for maybe more consumers to venture into the marketplace and try out different products,” he mentioned. “And I also look at a tremendous opportunity for the tourism and hospitality community. We have folks that flock to Boston and Massachusetts as a tourist, some come from countries or states that don’t allow cannabis use.”
Social consumption websites have been envisioned below the 2016 marijuana voter legislation.
Commissioners beforehand deliberate to vote on the laws in September. That timeline was pushed again to November after which to Christmas. In September, O’Brien’s return to the CCC pushed again the finalization of the long-awaited guidelines. Then in November, the vote was pushed once more so commissioner Carrie Benedon, who was appointed in November, may have time to compensate for the proposed laws.
Massachusetts is the primary state in New England to permit social consumption of hashish and joins states like Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York.
