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Regulators agree to new approach on cannabis cafés

Marijuana regulators voted Monday to scrap years-old plans that called for rolling out cannabis cafés and other social consumption sites with a 12-municipality pilot program, a step that one official said could bring that voter-approved segment of the industry online “a little quicker.”

Does cannabis help with anxiety or cause it? Here’s what experts say.
Many people smoke cannabis to unwind, but it doesn't always work that way.

Mass. cannabis commission votes to continue COVID-19 policies
Massachusetts marijuana officials have once again extended several temporary regulations that were enacted at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic and are meant to reduce face-to-face interactions in the cannabis industry.

New marijuana legalization bill gets New Hampshire hearing
The House has passed recreational marijuana bills several times only to see them get killed in the Senate

Mass. lawmakers propose cannabis reforms, decriminalization of psychedelics
When Massachusetts lawmakers rewrote the state’s marijuana laws in 2022, they focused largely on changing the legal cannabis industry. Now, it appears the emphasis will shift to consumers and workers.

This Week in Weed

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More marijuana news

Welcome to the cannabis crunch: Mass. marijuana industry braces for turbulent 2023

Recreational sales will soon pass $4 billion, but many operators see a grim outlook.

Mass. marijuana official says RMV ‘put politics over our youth’ in adopting stoned driving curriculum

The Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday voted to endorse the controversial lesson plans over strenuous objections from Commissioner Nurys Camargo.

Cannabis commission approves marijuana farm license associated with agency’s chair

Cannabis Control Commission investigators cleared O’Brien but faulted Greenfield Greenery for not disclosing other ownership changes.

Marijuana delivery platform Lantern will shut down, citing regulatory hurdles

The company's demise promises to fuel growing anxieties about the Massachusetts marijuana market, which sputtered badly in 2022.
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

Massachusetts unveils board that will guide funding for marijuana equity applicants
The all-Black board, a rarity in Massachusetts government, will advise economic officials as they disburse funds to marijuana license applicants.

Massachusetts cannabis commission temporarily extends COVID policies
Pandemic-related rules allowing virtual appointments for medical marijuana cards and curbside pickup will stay in place until at least February 9.

OSHA settles with Trulieve over marijuana worker’s death
The Florida-based pot conglomerate will now pay just $14,500 for a single violation related to the January death of a worker who was filling pre-rolled joints when she collapsed.

No easy answers as Boston officials ask: How many marijuana stores is too many?
For answers, officials in Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration say they will launch a study of other US cities with longstanding cannabis sectors.

‘I can just see teens rolling their eyes.’ Experts question state’s stoned driving curriculum.
Some experts have doubts about AAA’s approach, saying the group’s past lesson plans contain misleading statistics and have an anti-pot bent that could undermine efforts to effectively educate teens about the real risks of driving stoned.

Risks of cannabis-impaired driving to be added to Mass. driver’s education curriculum
Starting in January, Massachusetts residents younger than 18 taking driver’s education courses will get a primer on the perils of driving under the influence of marijuana, according to the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Cannabis regulators seek big budget increase
Fiscal 2024 does not start until July 1, 2023, but state departments and agencies have to get their budget wish-lists in with enough time for the executive branch to consider them before it kicks off the budget process early next year.

In major policy shift, Massachusetts clears marijuana growers to use certain pesticides
State agricultural officials have repealed a near-total ban on pesticides at commercial marijuana facilities. It's a change long sought by the cannabis industry, which has struggled to combat mold, pests, and other crop problems.

An insidious blight that is ravaging West Coast marijuana crops has landed in Massachusetts
Growers say the hop latent viroid — which can drastically reduce yields and quality — represents a major economic threat to the local cannabis industry.

Medical marijuana for kids? These moms sought it out — and say any parent would have done the same
In Massachusetts, 45 minors have received permission from state regulators to legally consume medical cannabis, after getting the required recommendations from both a pediatrician and another doctor.

Boston board defers decision on Faneuil Hall marijuana store, citing concerns about ‘saturation’
Board chair Kathleen Joyce praised the “unique” plan by Soul Cannabis to open a pot shop in the space previously occupied by the historic Durgin-Park restaurant, but said she was concerned that six other cannabis companies within a half-mile of the space have either opened or are awaiting state licensure after receiving final approval from the city.

As recreational marijuana prices plummet in Massachusetts, medical sales slump
Consumers aren't complaining, but state data suggest the state's cannabis sector is stumbling.

‘Party over pot?’ Midterms provide mixed signals on marijuana reform
Voters in Maryland and Missouri approved marijuana legalization ballot initiatives, but similar measures in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota failed at the polls.

Boston to refund millions in marijuana ‘impact’ fees
The city will write checks to nine local marijuana companies totaling $2.86 million.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to acquire cannabis operations in Worcester, Leicester, Greenfield
The $185 million deal, which must be approved by both state and federal authorities, includes retail locations in Worcester, Leicester, and Greenfield, as well as a production site in Leicester.

With new marijuana law poised to take effect, confusion reigns over local fees
Boston will nix the “impact” fees it once charged pot operators, but other municipalities seem reluctant to cut off the revenue.

Trulieve CEO arrives in Mass. amid union push
Trulieve is facing multiple investigations over the death of one of its workers in January, and CEO Kim Rivers declined to speak to a reporter while touring the company's Framingham dispensary Friday.

Mass. marijuana regulators started investigating a Holyoke facility over safety complaints. Then a worker collapsed and died in a dust-filled room.
The Cannabis Control Commission was already probing a Trulieve plant in Holyoke when 27-year-old worker Lorna McMurrey’s died there in January.

Mass. cannabis commission rebuffs license applicant over ties to agency’s chairwoman
The Cannabis Control Commission suggested Greenfield Greenery removed O’Brien from its ownership structure without approval.

Healey promises marijuana pardons if elected Mass. governor
Democrat Maura Healey pledges to follow Biden's lead and pardon past marijuana convictions if elected governor.