Baker: Delaying Marijuana Retail Sales 'Perfectly Appropriate'

Gov. Charlie Baker deems a six-month delay on opening recreational marijuana stores "perfectly appropriate," but hasn't given a definitive answer on whether he'll sign a measure making it so.

That's according to The Boston Herald, which reports the governor "stopped just short" of saying he'd sign a delay passed suddenly, and without debate, by both the Massachusetts House and Senate on Wednesday.

Voters in November passed a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana and to ensure the opening of retail locations by January 2018. However, legislators now want to push back that deadline.

Mass. Legislature Votes to Delay Pot Shop Openings

Baker is not known for giving definitive answers until legislation is on his desk, but this feels like a fairly clear indication the delay will proceed.

If the governor signs, legal possession of small amounts of weed by those 21 and older can continue, as well as provisions regarding in-home growing. However, it prolongs the period during which it is illegal to purchase marijuana in Massachusetts despite its on-paper legality.

Read the fully story in The Boston Herald here.

Photo via governor's office