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At its last public meeting of the year on Thursday, Cannabis Control Commission voted to make three changes to delivery regulations that businesses have long been fighting for.
For years, cannabis delivery entrepreneurs have been urging regulators to ease up on state rules they say are unnecessary and make it too difficult to operate their businesses. Finally, they will see some relief.
At its last public meeting of the year on Thursday, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission voted to allow non-medical cannabis deliveries with just one person in the car rather than two, which is the current mandate.
The board also increased the license cap for delivery companies from two to three and will allow cannabis-delivery companies to repackage products.
Delivery operators in Massachusetts have long been pushing for changes to regulations they say are too strict. Among the top targets was the two-to-one driver rule — which requires two people in the car for every delivery. Companies have argued the rule is over-burdensome and costly, because if one employee is unavailable, the other one can’t do deliveries alone.
With the vote, cannabis delivery companies can now have just one driver in the car.
Allowing delivery companies to hold three licenses instead of two will enable them to grow their businesses geographically since each license corresponds to just one warehouse out of which deliveries can be made.
The rule that allows them to repackage products allows delivery companies to buy cannabis products in bulk, then resell them under different brand names, potentially for higher profit margins.
Chris Fevry, CEO and co-founder of cannabis delivery company, Your Green Package, said he’s glad to see state regulators recognize the problems with the initial regulations and make changes.
“I feel relieved. I think this has been a hard-fought win for equity companies. I’m glad the commission finally did this,” Fevry said. “The entire industry is rejoicing.”
There remain a few issues delivery companies want the CCC to review, however.
One is to allow recreational deliveries to towns where residents voted against adult-use cannabis businesses opening. Medical deliveries are allowed throughout the state, and cannabis business leaders have long argued that banning deliveries to so-called “no towns” hurts their ability to grow sales. Delivery companies also want to be able to deliver to hotels, saying it would benefit tourists as well as industry growth.
Additionally, delivery companies want the commission to extend the exclusivity period regulators put in place for delivery companies, which only allow for social equity and economic empowerment applicants — license types meant to uplift people who live in communities that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. Some cannabis business leaders have asked the CCC to extend the exclusivity period by two to four additional years.
In order to protect the owners in the space, delivery entrepreneurs said that a longer period would give them an opportunity to continue establishing their businesses before large, deep-pocketed companies step in.
“We will definitely continue pushing on those issues,” Fevry said, adding that such changes will make the delivery license “fully viable.”
At Thursday’s meeting, the commission also voted unanimously to extend a Covid-era waiver to allow medical marijuana patients to get initial prescriptions via telehealth appointments. The measure was set to expire at the end of this year. Renewals via telehealth have always been allowed in regulation, but initial prescriptions are required in-person without the waiver or regulatory change.
The Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance rallied before the CCC’s meeting in Worcester to push the commission to extend this permission. Longterm, the MPAA wants the CCC to build telehealth appointments for initial prescriptions to purchase medical marijuana products.
In a statement, Jeremiah MacKinnon, president and executive director of MPAA, called that the waiver extension a “victory.”
“It ensures continuous access to essential care, without unnecessary burdens,” he said. “Patients in the medical cannabis program can now focus on their health without the stress and uncertainty of whether telehealth will be available. This move isn’t just procedural; it’s a stand for equitable access, recognizing the unique challenges of our most vulnerable patients.”
Earlier in the meeting, the commission had a vote to make Ava Callender Concepcion acting chair for the foreseeable future, went over next steps for its regulatory review, and discussed several leadership changes.
There was also a hearing in Suffolk Civil Court on Thursday in the case of suspended CCC chair Shannon O’Brien against her appointing authority, Treasurer Deb Goldberg. A judge is yet to make a decision on if O’Brien’s suspension will stay.
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Cannabis board scraps 2-driver rule and eases other business regulations – Boston Business Journal
