BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The state's Cannabis Control Commission is in the process of deciding what the recreational marijuana scene will look like in Massachusetts--and one member of the commission's advisory board says it should include cannabis clubs.
Michael Latulippe told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens he thinks the clubs, which would operate somewhat like cigar bars, should be established.
"What is happening is the package-store model which we've seen dominate the cannabis industry for the past decade is old-fashioned, and it also doesn't take into effect the dangers of bringing cannabis home for their children," he said. "Also, it doesn't alleviate the issue of interstate trafficking, of tourists coming to a state and then leaving with the cannabis."
He's also suggesting small businesses be allowed to sell marijuana--like a yoga studio, for example.
"What we're suggesting is to allow the yoga practitioner to become a retailer, purchase wholesale marijuana from cultivators, and then re-sell it to the consumer as part of the yoga package," he said.
The commission will vote on those suggestions next week. Public hearings will be held early next year, final regulations will be made in the spring, and then, in July, the retail sale of marijuana in Massachusetts will begin.
"I would say that everyone in the country should be watching Massachusetts right now," Latulippe said. "We've proposed something that is truly different in the subcommittee that I was on, on the industry subcommittee, and I think it could have major implications on the cannabis industry all over the world if it's applied correctly."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports