Cannabis Cafes One Step Closer To Opening In Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS — The Massachusetts House voted to approve major changes to the state's current cannabis laws, Wednesday backpacking off of legislation approved by the state Senate in April that will move the Bay State closer to equality among consumers.

In a 153-2 majority vote in favor of the bill, Massachusetts is on its way to having legal cannabis social consumption sites, or cannabis cafes, the removal of old marijuana charges, and help diminish the hefty local fees marijuana operators face in certain towns.

The bill now heads to a conference committee to iron out the key differences between the two versions. Each chamber would have to approved the revised bill before it is sent to Gov. Charlie Baker.

Read more: Cannabis Cafes: How Close Massachusetts Is To Allowing The Joints

In April, the Massachusetts Senate passed a cannabis reform bill that would fix the technicality that prevented the state from allowing the social consumption industry to launch.

If passed into law, this reform bill will also make it easier for people to expunge their records of old marijuana possession convictions and arrests - something advocates for the legalization of cannabis have fought to have for years.

By doing this, House Speaker Ron Mariano said the bill will "create a fair and successful cannabis industry, fostering equitable opportunities to those disproportionately impacted by the systematic racism of historic drug policy."

One change not mentioned in the reform bill was the ban on employers declining to hire or even firing workers based on a failed marijuana test.

The main issue in place for Massachusetts is that law enforcement doesn't have a way to test drivers who may be impaired by marijuana. Technology can determine recent cannabis usage, but not impairment. According to the Cannabis Control Commission, Massachusetts is working on establishing a separate commission to look at that problem.

Though social consumption has been set to go in Massachusetts since 2019 when the Cannabis Control Commission approved the pilot program, the CCC said the program wouldn't be able to start until there was a change in state law.

Current Massachusetts cannabis operators in certain municipalities have to pay "impact" fees in the contracts they sign when going into operation. Those "impact" fees are designed to help mitigate any impact the businesses have brought to the surrounding areas.

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