Curaleaf Wins First Massachusetts Cannabis Research License

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) last week awarded Curaleaf Processing, a subsidiary of the multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings, the state’s first Marijuana Research Facility license.

“We are excited to move the state’s first-ever Research Facility license forward in the hopes that it will contribute to a safer regulated cannabis industry, rooted in science. This licensee has worked diligently over the last two years to bring this facility to the Commonwealth, and we look forward to the work their team will accomplish after their receipt of a research permit.” — CCC Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins, in a press release

The state’s research facility licenses were first announced in 2018 and officials said seven hopeful licensees have applied; the licenses are available to academic institutions, nonprofits, or companies licensed to do business in Massachusetts. Additionally, the licensees will need to apply for a Research Permit from the CCC’s Research Department to authorize specific studies and research methods to be performed at the facilities.

“As long as marijuana remains a Schedule I substance, it is important that states like ours continue to innovate and pursue opportunities for research despite the barriers that may exist,” Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion said in the release. “I’m thrilled to see this licensee moving forward, and we are excited for the day when we can announce that their research efforts have officially begun.”