Regulators want funding to speed up Massachusetts marijuana licensing

Massachusetts regulators are seeking additional money from the state in order to cut in half the time required to obtain a cannabis business license.

The Cannabis Control Commission’s goal in the next budget year is to cut the average time for an initial license review from 121 days to 60 days, the State House News Service reported.

To achieve that goal, the CCC needs an additional $2.8 million to hire up to 34 new full-time employees.

With the additional personnel, “we can increase the number of (marijuana) licenses and we can increase the amount of tax revenue that we generate, so I believe it is a good investment,” agency Chair Steve Hoffman said.

Massachusetts recreational marijuana sales reached almost $400 million in its first year after a Thanksgiving week launch in 2018.