The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has received more than 200 adult-use cannabis industry applications since they began accepting some applications on Tuesday, the State House News Service reports. Presently, the agency is only accepting applications from current medical cannabis dispensary owners who wish to sell their products to adults 21-and-older and empowerment applications.
The majority of the first wave of applicants were empowerment applications. Those applications are part of what’s often referred to as “social equity” programs. The Massachusetts version of the program is meant to “ensure that people from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana law enforcement are included in the new legal marijuana industry.” The state received 129 such applications.
The remaining 89 applications were from current operators looking to expand to the recreational market. The 218 total applications were sent to the agency between the noon launch on Monday and the CCC meeting at 10:30am on Tuesday, the report says.
As of Tuesday morning, five of the empowerment applications and 18 of the current operator applications had been completed, according to CCC Executive Director Shawn Collins.
Operators granted priority certification will be allowed to apply for commercial applications on Apr. 16; all other license types will start the application process on May or June 1, depending on the license type. Recreational sales are expected in the state July 1.