Massachusetts will funnel $2 million into a state marijuana commission tasked with implementing the state’s recreational cannabis law.
The funding is part of a compromise budget lawmakers passed last week.
The budget compromise could lead to the resumption of negotiations between a House-Senate committee on regulations tied to the adult-use marijuana law approved by Massachusetts voters last year. The House Speaker temporarily suspended those talks last week, saying he wanted lawmakers to focus on budget talks.
“The $2 million marijuana … falls far short of the funding necessary to build an effective regulatory structure in the time set by the legislature and the governor,” said Jim Borghesani, a legalization advocate in Massachusetts.
The state’s adult-use industry tentatively is set to launch in the second half of 2018.
The cost of licensing and tracking software – which must be in place before applications can be processed – is estimated at $5.5 million alone, Borghesani added.
Lawmakers have struggled to reach an agreement to finalize the state’s legalization program, causing them to miss their self-imposed June 30 deadline.
There’s no timetable for the resumption of negotiations on the marijuana compromise.
– Associated Press and Marijuana Business Daily