MMJ lobbyist behind opposition to MA rec campaign

A new threat to legalizing recreational cannabis in Massachusetts has emerged from a unexpected source: a lobbyist with ties to the state’s medical marijuana industry.

Daniel Delaney, a registered lobbyist for the dispensary company Patriot Care and at least one other business that is attempting to get an MMJ license, recently formed a committee to defeat the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), according to Boston.com.

The CRMLA is looking to get a measure on the fall ballot to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.

It’s a significant split from the standard view of most MMJ businesses, which typically support legalizing rec and often take advantage of the extra business opportunities. In fact, several existing dispensaries have already contributed financially to the legalization campaign.

But Delaney told Boston.com that he believes legalizing rec cannabis is “not that beneficial to medical marijuana.” Delaney said he doesn’t oppose rec legalization in general, but simply doesn’t like CRMLA’s model.

A CRMLA spokesman told the news outlet that the move “throws activists… under the bus.”

Patriot Care, a subsidiary of Columbia Care (which owns and runs dispensaries across the country), has not taken a position on Delaney’s committee, and said he formed it independently of the company.