Cannabis News
Massachusetts Bill To Double Marijuana Possession Limit And Revise Regulatory Framework Heads To Conference Committee
Massachusetts lawmakers have convened a bicameral conference committee to hammer out a deal bill that would double the legal limit for possession of marijuana for adults and reviewing the regulatory framework for the state’s adult cannabis market.
After the Senate passed an amended version of the legislation in November, the House pushed back against the changes. Now appointed lawmakers will meet to iron out differences between the chambers’ approaches and potentially send the House bill to the governor’s desk.
Among the revisions to the state’s cannabis law is a section that would increase the personal possession limit of marijuana from one ounce to two. Colorado enacted the same reform in 2021 after the state’s cannabis market matured.
Sen. Adam Gómez (D), said before the Senate vote that the increased ownership limit and other changes proposed in the bill would “modernize” the state’s cannabis laws.
Gómez and Rep. Daniel Donahue (D), chairman of the Joint Cannabis Policy Committee, will serve as lead negotiators for the newly formed conference committee to act on the marijuana bill.
Other congressmen include Sens. Joanne Comerford (D) and Peter Durant (R), as well as Reps. Carlos Gonzalez (D) and Michael Soter (R).
“When Massachusetts voters approved adult cannabis use, we made a commitment not just to legalize it, but to build a safe, fair and well-regulated industry,” Gómez said in November. “Seven years later, we have made great progress, but the landscape has changed and our laws must reflect what it is.”
In addition to expanding ownership, which is included in both chambers’ versions, the bill would reduce the size and revise the organization of the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), updating the limits on marijuana business licenses.
In both versions, the CCC would consist of three members instead of the current five. The Senate bill would appoint two directly by the governor and one by the attorney general. The House proposed that the governor make all appointments. In both cases, the state treasurer would not be responsible for appointing committee members.
The Senate-passed legislation includes a reciprocity section that allows out-of-state medical marijuana patients to purchase cannabis products from Massachusetts dispensaries.
Gómez said the version of invoice The one passed by the Senate would “remove outdated requirements that force medical operations to vertically integrate.”
He argued that the state is “reinforcing” its commitment to a fair cannabis industry by, among other things, “supporting worker ownership models and guiding the commission to develop fair and transparent host community agreements.”
The Senate-passed legislation also directs the CCC to study the mental health impacts and long-term outcomes of marijuana use.
“This legislation is not about starting over. It is about building on what we have learned,” said Gómez. “It’s about making sure our laws keep pace with a growing industry while protecting consumers, helping small businesses and advancing equity.”
Senators approved several changes to the House bill in November, including requiring the CCC to conduct studies on marijuana demand and supply, excise tax rates and regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoids.
Other approved amendments direct regulators to update cannabis testing protocols annually and clarify “advertising, marketing and branding of sales, discounts and customer loyalty programs at a marijuana establishment or through an opt-in email list.”
After the Senate passed the revised bill, the House opposed the changes, bringing in conference committee appointments.
Meanwhile, in November, the legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy advanced a bill that would have required a study. legal barriers facing first responders who want to use marijuana in compliance with state law.
Regulators should also examine marijuana’s effectiveness in the treatment of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, police and first responders in other jurisdictions will review laws and policies regarding the use of cannabis and “any other matter deemed relevant by the commission.”
The bill was reported when lawmakers in another committee passed separate legislation employment protection for people who use marijuana. Another panel advanced a A similar job protection bill by Rep. Michael Kushmer (D). in September
Against the backdrop of that legislative effort, Massachusetts officials recently announced a campaign behind it An initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law has collected enough valid signatures to send the measure to members of parliament, before it goes to the voters to decide this year’s vote.
The campaign already had it He expressed confidence that he has obtained enough signatures to move forward. Members of Parliament will receive the proposal on January 7 at the beginning of the 2026 session, and they have until May 5 to act on it. If the Legislature decides not to pass it, the campaign would have to go through another round of petitions and get at least 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to get on the November ballot.
Controversy has arisen over the prohibitionist coalition’s signature-gathering tactics, with petitioners working on behalf of the campaign allegedly sharing misleading information about what the measure would accomplish, paid petitioners using fake letters for other ballot measures on issues such as affordable housing and same-day voter registration.
The The state attorney general has confirmed that he has received complaints for that And in November, a state association of marijuana companies asked voters to report it to local officials if they observe it Instances of “spoof mail” or other fraudulent solicitation tactics. The campaign has denied the allegations.
The office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D), that is He cleared the signature collection campaign in September—stressed to voters the importance of reading their summary, which should go at the top of the signature form, before signing any petition.
The head of Massachusetts’ marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested measures to effectively recriminalize the sale of recreational cannabis. dangerous tax revenues being used to support substance abuse treatment efforts and other public programs.
Whether the cannabis measures make the cut remains to be seen. Voters approved legalization on the 2016 ballot, and sales began two years later. And in the last decade the market has evolved and expanded. In August, Massachusetts officials reported more than $8 billion in adult marijuana sales.
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Meanwhile, last month, state regulators established rules for social marijuana consumption halls.
Separately, the State Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) has recently launched a targeted online platform helping people find work, on-the-job training and networking opportunities in the state’s legal cannabis industry.
State legislators have also been pondering imposing stricter restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products and a plan allowing individual entities to control a greater number of cannabis establishments.
Also in Massachusetts Legislators working on state budgets butted heads with CCC officialswho said critical technology improvements can’t be made without more money from the legislature.
Massachusetts lawmakers also passed a bill establishing a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics. And two committees Hearings to discuss additional measures related to psilocybin were held separately.
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Nevada is one of the most competitive retail cannabis markets in the United States, and Deep Roots Harvest has been betting for years that the way to win is to control everything. 11 cultivation, processing, manufacturing, extraction and retail locations all under one roof, or pretty close to it. Chris O’Ferrell, Deep Roots Harvest’s Chief Cultivator, runs the growing side of that operation in two facilities totaling 30,000 square feet, pushing 500 pounds of harvested cannabis per week and 2,000 pounds of biomass per month.
“The Source and Deep Roots harvest retail team sells 75 kilos of cannabis daily, 500 kilos weekly, over a third of which is in-house to support the High Heads, Neon Moon and CAMP brands. We cultivate, extract, process, manufacture and work the retail locations,” says Chris. “We have one of the largest market shares in Nevada in terms of retail volume and gross sales.”
That volume is produced by 60 full-time employees at the two sites, and the crop program behind it is, by any reasonable measure, built for efficiency and quality. “Many of the genetics in our library consistently exceed 100 grams per square foot, which directly helps reduce our overall cost per gram,” explains Chris. “We operate with a consumer-first approach, focusing on cost consciousness while providing tasty and competitive offerings. We operate below 70 cents per gram, a benchmark that reflects careful cost management. Getting there and staying there has required compressing costs at all input levels while continuing to invest in technology that moves the needle on quality, cost efficiency and performance.”
© Deep Roots Harvest Chris O’Ferrell, Chief Cultivator at Deep Roots Harvest
Genetics as intended by the producer
The transition of light is a clear example of this, as is the case with cannabis. In the beginning, the company used your classic HPS lights. As LED technology advanced, Deep Roots made the switch. However, it wasn’t just about improving energy efficiency. Chris and the team understood that the more precisely the crop was targeted, the better the final product would be. Energy savings don’t necessarily show up on retail shelves, but crop control does, in the form of flowers that express their genetics the way the grower intended.
To achieve this level of control, the spectrum became a critical tool. “We start with the spring setting, using the blue light to regulate the spacing of the interiors and control the spacing,” he explains. “As the plants progress, we move to the summer spectrum until the end of week eight, switching to a broader spectrum light with balanced wavelengths. This increases the red light, along with other parts of the spectrum to more closely replicate sunlight. We also increase the light intensity during the flowering phase to improve the plant’s photosynthetic performance, accumulation and photosynthetic activity. The parameters support the initiation of flowering, accelerate maturation and allow the plant to reach its potential they allow him to fully express his genetics.”
Nothing is left to chance
At canopy level, plants from the two largest facilities are housed in two-gallon coco pots, chosen to accommodate longer growing periods and larger plant structures. The second facility operates stone wool. Both use substrate sensors in connection with fertigation control, and track performance at different growth stages. Dissolved oxygen is injected into the root zone to increase availability, and a chlorine injection system keeps the lines clear of pathogens with a relatively inexpensive cleanup compared to conventional cleaning programs. “A chlorine injection system is relatively inexpensive to implement, replacing approximately $40,000 in other cleaning and disinfection products annually,” says Chris. “It’s all about being ahead of the curve.”
Pest management is entirely biological, implemented in conjunction with mechanical and cultural controls. “We haven’t had any pest problems,” says Chris. “This was also a decision based on reducing inputs while maintaining, if not improving, the quality of the product.”
Genetics is the backbone of cannabis operations and the gas that drives the company’s engine. They receive the same systematic treatment as all other parts of the operation. A steering committee reviews the portfolio quarterly, withdrawing underperforming cultivars and acquiring replacements based on market data from multiple markets, cross-referenced with gaps in the current menu. The criteria are repeatable agronomic performance, yield, potency, distinctive flavor profile and the ability to wash well for extraction, ensuring strong yields for both rosin and resin production. “All genetics need to adapt to the program,” says Chris. “Unique production, potency and flavor expression that fills the void of what we don’t have on the menu. It’s about finding a commercial cultivar that works well and fits the existing infrastructure. All the cultivars we grow now have a similar and predictable growth structure. The difference is the color, the smell, the experience. They are very close agronomically.”
For more information:
Harvest deep roots
deeprootsharvest.com
The veto pen is one of the most powerful tools in the Mississippi Legislature, and Governor Tate Reeves has used it throughout his tenure. This year, his vetoes have mostly targeted public health bills so far, with more to come.
There are three ways Reeves could handle the bills that passed both chambers. He can sign bills he supports and allow them to become law without his signature. He can also block legislation he disagrees with by vetoing a bill or part of it and deferring it to a future legislative session.
As of Wednesday, April 8, he has vetoed four bills, half as many as in the previous two sessions, but Reeves will continue to review the legislation and reject more proposals in the coming days.
Reeves vetoed two medical marijuana bills that passed the Legislature this session, dealing a fatal blow to bills that have already faced friendly chambers. One of the bills, the “Right to Try Medical Cannabis,” contained only one specific provision that Reeves disputed. The original intent of the bill, which Reeves praised, was to expand the opportunity to try medical marijuana to those with debilitating conditions that fall outside the scope of current law.
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