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Hackers hit Mass. background-check firm used by state agencies, universities

Mansfield-based Creative Services Inc., which performs background checks on everyone from cannabis investors to teachers to pharmaceutical workers, said hackers made off with extensive personal data on more than 164,000 people in a "smash and grab" attack last November.

Analysis
An unexpected comment from New Hampshire’s governor changes the calculus on marijuana legalization in the Granite state
For decades, every New Hampshire governor has vowed to veto marijuana legalization bills. But that could be changing.

Marijuana lounges could finally come to Massachusetts, but some doubt they’re viable
A bill that would allow “social consumption” facilities — essentially the pot equivalent of a bar — is now moving forward on Beacon Hill as part of a broader package of reforms to the state’s marijuana laws.

MGH claims breakthrough in detecting marijuana impairment
Convinced that existing tests are unfair, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say they’ve found a better way to detect marijuana impairment.

With Mariano’s backing, Mass. Legislature advances marijuana reforms
Lawmakers and their aides said they expected the Legislature’s joint committee on cannabis policy to approve three bills by the end of Friday. And perhaps more importantly, House Speaker Ron Mariano said he supports the measures, significantly boosting their chances of passage.

This Week in Weed

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More marijuana news

Marijuana regulators sidestep stoned driving debate

The Cannabis Control Commission appears to be divided over a proposed crackdown on stoned driving in Massachusetts.

Omicron strains marijuana industry supply chain

Despite a requirement that all marijuana be grown and processed in-state, the Massachusetts cannabis sector nonetheless relies on foreign vendors for a wide array of critical supplies.

Can cannabis really prevent COVID? Not quite, but new study shows promise

Naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant appear to prevent the coronavirus from binding with human cells, scientists in Oregon said this week, potentially pointing the way toward a hemp-based supplement that could lower both the risk and severity of COVID-19 infections.

Massachusetts Legislature is pressured to ease burden of criminal records

Advocates and attorneys say the state's reluctance to hide or delete old criminal records is just bad policy — for both former defendants and taxpayers.
spotlight

The hidden titans of pot

Massachusetts legalized the sale of recreational marijuana with the ambition to be different — and better. But two years since the law went into effect, troubling signs loom. This three-part series uncovers stealth moves by large investors poised to dominate this nascent industry and outmaneuver regulators.

These companies test the limits — and brag about it

No firm is allowed to own or control more than three recreational marijuana stores. But two companies — Sea Hunter and Acreage — are testing the limits.

Inside one battle that could change the marijuana industry

The race to open Mattapan Square’s first pot shop raises questions about trust and who gets to cash in.

For sale in the pot industry: political influence

Marijuana may be the hot, new retail business in town, but it largely plays by the old political rules.

More coverage

Eight takeaways from the Spotlight series

Marijuana company’s expansion plans test Mass. law

Mass. regulators investigating whether companies violated license limits

Beyond Massachusetts, states struggle to limit marijuana behemoths

Special Reports

The essential guide to buying and consuming pot in Massachusetts

Curious about legal weed but feeling a little intimidated about visiting a retail outlet? Our handy guide answers all of your questions so you can stock up with confidence.
These are the most common questions marijuana budtenders get asked

‘My life came crashing down overnight’: How one Boston-area woman nearly died from vaping

A 33-year-old veterinary technician thought she could trust her dealer’s legitimate-looking vapes to help her relax and treat her migraines. Instead, she ended up hospitalized for two weeks.
FROM GLOBE OPINION: I nearly died from vaping, and you could too
Welcome to Big Marijuana’s factory floor
Inside the headquarters of Canada's Canopy Growth Corp., the world’s largest marijuana company that critics call the "Walmart of Weed." (Video by Caitlin Healy/Globe Staff)

Inside the Walmart of Weed: From rural Canada, Big Marijuana seeks to dominate global market

At 89, legendary psychiatrist and marijuana advocate still wonders about Harvard professorship

Marijuana activists say Dr. Lester Grinspoon, the author of "Marijuana Reconsidered," was unfairly denied a full professorship at Harvard Medical School twice because of his views about cannabis.
Lester Grinspoon, Harvard psychiatrist and early champion of marijuana reforms, dies at 92

Latest marijuana headlines

Legal and scientific experts sharply question proposed crackdown on drugged driving
A number of the Baker administration’s highest-ranking public safety officials urged lawmakers to advance the bill, but prominent experts are stepping forward to warn the plan is fundamentally flawed.

Should we fear fentanyl-laced marijuana?
Vermont authorities walk back earlier warning of fentanyl-laced marijuana, but Connecticut officials insist risk is real.

Mass. cannabis company bakes 850-pound pot brownie
The massive confection is 3-feet-by-3-feet square, 15 inches tall, and contains 20,000 mg of THC.

In Grove Hall, a battle between entrepreneurs of color who want a piece of the lucrative cannabis business and faith leaders who want to keep drugs out
For years, the brick storefront at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Devon Street housed family businesses owned by Minister Emeritus Don Muhammad, the longtime leader of the Nation of Islam in Boston. Now, a group of entrepreneurs of color wants to turn the vacant building into a cannabis courier and delivery service.

Cannabis Control Commission flexes new muscle on Beacon Hill
The marijuana agency is urging state legislators to update stagnant cannabis laws.

‘An utter failure’: Law meant to clear old convictions, including for marijuana possession, helps few
While the state could not say exactly how many people are potentially eligible for expungements, advocates insist those carried out so far represent a minuscule proportion of a pool that they estimate totals in the tens of thousands.

Five years later, legal marijuana remains unfinished business in Massachusetts
The public health catastrophe foreseen by opponents never materialized, while the recreational industry employs over 18,000 workers and has generated $2.2 billion. But festering glitches in the law mean the state is no model.

RI POLITICS
R.I. lawmakers call for marijuana legalization to help those impacted by War on Drugs
“We can’t reverse the harm of the War on Drugs, but we can start to repair it,” the chairwoman of the RI Legislative Black and Latino Caucus says.

Boston City Council votes to overhaul marijuana licensing process — again
Councilors are backing an effort by Lydia Edwards to remove the Zoning Board of Appeal from the process of approving marijuana stores.

Legal US marijuana is pouring into Mexico. It’s pricey, popular, and has names like ‘Bubba Kush.’
The most sought after marijuana being trafficked across the US-Mexico border is now the weed entering Mexico, not the weed leaving it.

RI BUSINESS
New cannabis and hemp analytical testing lab to open in Rhode Island
The founders said PureVita Labs was born “out of frustration” after caring for patients with “debilitating, sometimes incurable diseases.”

Marijuana home delivery services launch in Massachusetts
Lantern, a sister company of the popular alcohol delivery service Drizly, says it’s now serving the Boston area.

Senate marijuana bill would open up banking, stock exchanges
A new Senate proposal to legalize marijuana would let cannabis companies use banking services and trade on major stock exchanges, according to a person involved in negotiations on the legislation, a potentially dramatic breakthrough for an industry long stymied by federal restrictions.

Sacha Baron Cohen sues Massachusetts cannabis dispensary over ad featuring Borat
The actor, best known for his titular role in the “Borat” films, is suing a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary for using his character on a billboard for the company, according to court documents.

Kimberly Roy named to Cannabis Control Commission
Governor Charlie Baker on Monday tapped Kimberly Roy to serve on the Cannabis Control Commission.

In wake of Sha’Carri Richardson’s Olympic ban, USADA says it can’t change marijuana rules alone
The USADA is pushing to further mitigate “harsh consequences” for marijuana if it’s not intentionally used to enhance performance.

Two Mass. men sentenced in armed robbery of medical marijuana caregiver’s home in Maine
Eric Mercardo, 33, of Lowell, was sentenced to 16 years in prison with four years supervised release, and Steven Hardy, 33, of Maynard, was sentenced to 15 and a half years with four years of supervised release.

‘Mindless.’ ‘Tragic.’ ‘Draconian.’ ‘Unfair’ — Cannabis experts slam suspension of Sha’Carri Richardson
Physicians, former athletes, and advocates called the suspension of the track star an absurd and unjust outcome.

Haverhill marijuana store robbed with BB gun; suspect arrested
The robbery appears to be the first of its kind since dispensaries first opened in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts regulators fine marijuana firm TILT Holdings $275,000 over license scheme
The fine caps a years-long investigation by the agency into TILT's onerous management and loan contracts with affiliates.