Massachusetts approves home delivery of cannabis

Home delivery of cannabis is coming to Massachusetts after receiving the green light from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).

The commission created two types of delivery licenses: one for «cannabis delivery drivers» who «will be authorized to charge fees to make deliveries from a retailer or dispensary to the customer», and another for «delivery operators» who will be «authorized to purchase products wholesale and make deliveries from their own warehouse».

Massachusetts voters cast their ballots to legalize recreational cannabis in 2016.

Cannabis delivery in Massachusetts

Home delivery was already part of the state's medical cannabis program. Last year, the Commission had authorized the state's recreational cannabis businesses to apply for delivery licenses, which were validated in May 2020.

Initially, licenses will be issued exclusively to members of the Social Equity Program, which favors people previously impacted by cannabis prohibition. The barriers to entry for a delivery license are generally lower than those for retail licenses, and help to level the playing field between large and small businesses.

Some dispensaries, however, argue that state law restricts delivery possibilities to retail cannabis vendors only.

«Simply put, the Commission's adoption and implementation of the proposed regulation would directly contravene its own law, which clearly and unambiguously states that only cannabis retailers, as defined in the law, are permitted to deliver cannabis products to consumers» for Howard Cooper, attorney-at-law, in a letter written to regulators in mid-November.

«In fact, they want to own 100% or 80% licenses or have as much control or influence as possible.» explains Aaron Goines, an activist who advises the Massachusetts Cannabis Association for Delivery and participated in the development of the regulatory framework for delivery. «It's simply not how regulations are written, we'll have to find something else.»