Marijuana - The Boston Globe

Boston approves new marijuana stores near Boston College and Berklee, overriding objections from schools

The Boston Cannabis Board has approved six new stores, including near Boston College and the Berklee College of Music.

Dozens of workers at Brookline marijuana dispensary forced to quarantine, limiting orders
At least 30 workers have been asked to self-quarantine after being exposed to two employees who tested positive for the coronavirus.

MARIJUANA
Legal marijuana in Rhode Island? What a difference a massive budget deficit can make
A big drop in revenue because of the coronavirus -- and the success of the industry in Mass. -- has some lawmakers reconsidering their opposition to recreational marijuana.

Push to relax drug laws — including marijuana legalization — gains big victories nationwide
A nationwide push to relax drug laws took a significant step forward Tuesday as five more states legalized marijuana and voters made Oregon the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of certain drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Recreational marijuana legalized by New Jersey voters
New Jersey voters on Tuesday authorized the legal use of recreational marijuana in a year when supporters rallied around the disproportionate number of arrests for the drug in minority communities.

This Week in Weed

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Healey warns medical marijuana nonprofit over failure to disclose finances

The Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance had its nonprofit status revoked by the IRS after repeatedly failing to file required annual returns.

More marijuana news

Biden embraces drug courts, but do they actually work?

Despite wide implementation and decades of research, experts remain bitterly divided over the efficacy — and ethics — of drug courts.

Cannabis commission approves expanded marijuana delivery licenses

Regulators have authorized an expanded form of home pot delivery over the protests of brick-and-mortar marijuana retailers.

Blue Apron it ain’t — these marijuana meal kits get you high

The company says it will deliver all the ingredients for an elevated evening.

Vermont governor allows marijuana sales legalization bill to take effect without his signature

The governor of Vermont announced Wednesday that he will allow a bill to legalize marijuana sales in the state to take effect without his signature. He also signed separate legislation to automate expungements for prior cannabis convictions.

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

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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

Sky high: Mass. marijuana is among the most expensive in the nation
In most cases, cannabis here is even pricier than in other states that legalized the drug more recently.

After landlord’s change of heart, West Coast marijuana brand Cookies could land in Harvard Square
In an unusual public letter published last week, Raj Dhanda said his previous views were “misinformed” and have “evolved” after meeting with local Black marijuana entrepreneurs.

Marijuana store proposed for Boston’s Quincy Market
If approved by local and state authorities, the pot shop — dubbed “Redemption Cannabis” — would open on the second floor of Quincy Market’s North Market building.

Months after his death, Pete Frates’s legacy lives on in family’s push for ALS patients to try medical marijuana
When Pete Frates died in December 2019 at just 34 years old, he had been relying on medical marijuana for several years, using it to help with muscle stiffness, cramping, and above all else, anxiety.

Cannabis commission expands pot delivery, medical marijuana
The commission approved the changes as dozens of recently licensed marijuana facilities prepare to open in the state’s fast-growing recreational market.

Boston Cannabis Board approves two marijuana retailers, defers action on Patriot Care
Verdant Medical, owned by former city councilor Tito Jackson, was the first marijuana store to win an initial permit from Boston since October.

Rivals hit Jake Auchincloss over marijuana skepticism
An opponent of pot shops in Newton as recently as 2018, Jake Auchincloss is facing heat from progressive rivals who say his shifting views put him out of step on marijuana policy.

Marijuana company will destroy $2.6 million inventory of year-old vapes
Temescal Wellness said consumers lack confidence in state tests for lead and other toxic heavy metals.

Where does Kamala Harris stand on marijuana?
US Senator Kamala Harris, chosen Tuesday to be former vice president Joe Biden’s running mate, has a track record on marijuana policy that has evolved significantly over the course of her career.

Mass. regulators release 619,000 aging marijuana vapes for sale, despite lead contamination concerns
Critics say a Cannabis Control Commission testing protocol for vapes affected by last year's ban fails to protect consumers.

Mass. regulators fine Revolutionary Clinics $120,000 for selling tainted marijuana vapes
The company will pay the Cannabis Control Commission the fine after it wholesaled vapes tainted with excessive levels of ethanol to pot retailers.

While equity efforts flounder, Massachusetts police make millions off marijuana store traffic details
Marijuana legalization in Massachusetts was intended to return wealth to Black and brown communities, which for decades were disproportionately targeted by police enforcing the drug’s prohibition. Yet in many cities and towns, it is the police who are getting wealthy.

East Boston marijuana store, city’s second, now open
The Berkshire Roots marijuana store in East Boston will operate on an appointment-only basis at first.

Regulators, advocates press Legislature to follow through on promise of marijuana equity
The Massachusetts marijuana industry was supposed to be equitable. But that hasn't happened, and now advocates say it's time for lawmakers to act.

Mass. marijuana regulators fine Acreage Holdings $250,000 for attempting to exceed license cap
The Cannabis Control Commission also fined Garden Remedies and Healthy Pharms (now "Mission") for using banned pesticides.

State seeks help: What to do with 619,000 unsellable marijuana vapes?
The devices have been gathering dust since last year's ban on their sale.

East Boston pot shop can open as early as this week
An East Boston pot shop is slated to become Boston’s second recreational marijuana dispensary.

Marijuana collectors expected to help with testing in Maine
Maine marijuana regulators have created new rules about sample collections that are expected to make the state’s testing system less burdensome.

Pot slump creates distressed opportunities
Cannabis stocks have lost about a quarter of their value in the first half of 2020, compounding a 50 percent drop in 2019.

Justice Department memo says marijuana investigations were appropriate, but another probe is ongoing
An office within the Justice Department that investigates misconduct concluded this month that allegations about the attorney general directing improper antitrust investigations into marijuana company mergers due to personal bias were unfounded. But that doesn’t mean officials are completely off the hook, as another probe of the matter is still underway.