CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — To consume socially or not to consume socially is the question some business owners are asking as the Cannabis Control Commission decides the fate of the public consumption in the state.
Pot and pilates, cannabis co-working, and reefer restaurants are all on the agenda this year when it comes to consuming cannabis socially in Massachusetts. After wrapping up the public comment period, the Cannabis Control Commission is expected to give updates on the rules regarding public consumption after reviewing remarks about the regulations and policies regarding the on-site consumption of cannabis.
Last year, state officials unveiled three different license types for public consumption —
- Supplemental: For qualifying Marijuana Establishments, including Cultivators, Product Manufacturers, Retailers, Microbusinesses, Craft Marijuana Cooperatives or Delivery Operators. These licenses allow on-site consumption within or attached to an existing establishment, events within an existing or adjoining facility, and consumption of product purchased on site.
- Hospitality: For new or existing non-cannabis businesses to host on-site consumption events in partnership with qualifying Marijuana Establishments. Event Organizers would permit on-site social consumption at events at businesses like lounges, movie theaters, lodging facilities, and gyms.
- Event Organizer: For qualifying Marijuana Establishments to organize and host temporary consumption events with a maximum of 24 events lasting no longer than five consecutive days per year. Only existing Marijuana Establishments would qualify for temporary, on-site consumption permits during events.
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Sean Hope, owner of Diaspora Experiences, a private club in Cambridge that specializes in curated cannabis experiences, said he looks forward to transitioning from a "bring your own cannabis" establishment to being able to offer his own selection of cannabis-infused items.
"When the social consumption policies come out, I would like to become more public," Hope said. "I would like to have a business that maybe served coffee or did events and that you could just walk in and come and not have to be a private club member."
Kyle Moon, owner of the private "B-Y-O-C" consumption space Summit Lounge, is skeptical about the licenses.
"I'm still unsure about a lot of things with these licenses and I have a lot of concerns based on the past licenses and the past regulations. I think while I'd love to say, yes, I'm going to get one of these licenses — I mean, we don't even really know the final draft of regulations," Moon said. "We don't actually know what's being implemented. And then even once the CCC implements their regulations, then we've got to get down to the municipalities."
If the commission votes to approve the proposed regulations, they would then head to the office of the Secretary of State.
WBZ NewsRadio's Tenay Mathis reports.