Revamped MA Dispensary Guidelines Make Process More Transparent

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Medical marijuana dispensary license applicants in Massachusetts will be judged on their own merits under new rules passed by regulators to make the licensing process in the state more efficient and transparent.

The new system will judge applicants based on their individual merits rather than in comparison to other applicants, the Boston Globe reported. Licenses will be similar to those given to pharmacies, and health department staff will be made available to those applying for dispensary permits.

Massachusetts’ old system pitted applicants against one another, and secrecy around applications and the process by which license winners were chosen led to multiple lawsuits in the state. Voters approved MMJ more than two years ago, yet none of the 15 dispensaries that were originally awarded licenses have opened their doors.

New applications will be accepted starting June 29 and they’ll be considered in the order they’re received, according to the Globe.

Only two companies are poised to open in coming months. Alternative Therapies Group has started growing MMJ, and once it’s ready to open it’ll need to get a final approval from the state, a health department official has said. New England Treatment Access has received approval to begin cultivation and may open in the fall.