Marijuana - The Boston Globe

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.

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MassCan’t: Board chair Samson Racioppi resigns amid outrage over his planning of ‘straight pride,’ pro-police, other rallies

MassCann board members voted 7-0 in favor of what was essentially a motion of no-confidence in Samson Racioppi, who then resigned, saying there was “no point” in continuing without the board’s support.

More marijuana news

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.

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 local headlines

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.

Lester Grinspoon, Harvard psychiatrist and early champion of marijuana reforms, dies at 92
His early, blistering criticism of marijuana prohibition made him a hero to generations of activists and cannabis consumers while drawing scorn from authority figures like Richard Nixon.

Meet four of New England’s best-known cannabis influencers
From live streams to product promotions to social advocacy, these women don't just get paid to smoke marijuana.

Bernie Sanders calls for marijuana legalization in Senate floor speech on policing reform
US Senator Bernie Sanders said Wednesday that Congress should federally legalize marijuana as another step toward enacting policing reform and addressing racial injustices.

Kansas City mayor wants to stop penalizing marijuana possession
The mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, is backing an ordinance that would strike possession of marijuana from the municipal code, a move that would eliminate even fines for those who possess marijuana.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court tosses county ban on probationers using medical marijuana
Counties may not ban people on probation or parole from using prescription cannabis if they are registered in Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Tennessee coach says RB Tim Jordan no longer with Vols after marijuana, gun arrest
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt says running back Tim Jordan is no longer on the team after he was arrested May 30 in Florida on gun and marijuana charges.

Des Moines City Council to consider marijuana resolution
The Des Moines City Council is set to consider a resolution supporting the decriminalization of marijuana in the city.

Virginia governor says new facility will process hemp and CBD oil
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced that a company will invest more than $3 million to establish the state’s first large-scale facility to process hemp and to extract CBD oil.

Yelp blocks marijuana businesses from two key advertising features
Yelp is no longer offering two key advertising features to marijuana-related businesses, the company confirmed.

Ohio e-signature ballot case, including campaigns for marijuana decriminalization, appealed to US Supreme Court
Ballot campaigns in Ohio, including initiatives for local marijuana decriminalization measures, asked the US Supreme Court Wednesday to weigh in on whether they have the legal right to see signature-gathering rules relaxed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nevada to pardon thousands convicted of marijuana possession
Nevada has become the latest state with legal marijuana sales to pardon people convicted of possessing a small amount of pot.

Library of Congress highlights racist news coverage used to justify criminalizing marijuana a century ago
The Library of Congress is documenting racist depictions of marijuana in late 19th century and early 20th century news coverage that helped to drive the criminalization of cannabis, highlighting sensationalized articles about the plant that the federal research body says effectively served as “anti-Mexican propaganda.”

Uruguay cannabis firm seeks up to $30 million as capital returns
Silverpeak Life Sciences Uruguay Inc. is looking to raise as much as $30 million from institutional investors in the fourth quarter as it sees capital markets opening to cannabis companies again.

Louisiana widening access to medical marijuana under new law
More Louisiana residents will have access to medical marijuana under a significant expansion of the state’s therapeutic cannabis program that was signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards.

2nd big marijuana bust made at Canadian border in eight days
A citizen of India has been charged with attempting to smuggle more than 3,300 pounds (1,500 kilograms) of marijuana over the Peace Bridge from Canada into Buffalo, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Push to unionize Massachusetts marijuana industry heats up
Massachusetts union organizers and marijuana executives are squaring off in an increasingly bitter fight.

New Jersey lawmakers advance marijuana decriminalization bill ahead of legalization referendum
New Jersey lawmakers advanced a bill Monday that would decriminalize the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana and reduce penalties for larger amounts. The vote comes ahead of a statewide referendum in November to more broadly legalize cannabis for adult use.