The legal saga surrounding the leadership of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) appears to be over, but the agency still isn't running smoothly. After months of lawsuits and political wrangling, Chairwoman Shannon O'Brien has been reinstated yet her return has triggered a fresh delay in the long-awaited social cannabis regulations.
O'Brien, appointed to the CCC in 2022, was suspended and then fired by Treasurer Deb Goldberg in September 2024. Earlier this month, she sued for wrongful termination, won her case, and was reinstated with back pay through the end of her term in August 2027. But the leadership shake-up has real consequences for entrepreneurs and consumers eager to see Massachusetts finally launch a regulated social cannabis market.
On Thursday, the CCC announced it was pushing back the final review of the new social cannabis rules.
These regulations would allow Bay Staters to buy and consume cannabis in the same location similar to enjoying a cigar at a cigar lounge. Social consumption was included in the 2016 ballot measure that legalized marijuana, but the CCC says it couldn't begin the regulatory process until a 2022 state law change.
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