Massachusetts lawmakers are considering eight bills that would increase the cap on cannabis dispensary ownership in the state, the Commonwealth Beacon reports. The bills seek to raise the cap from three licenses to either six or nine.
One proposal, currently in the House Cannabis Policy Committee, would allow businesses that have reached the three-license limit to increase the ownership stake they can have in four additional social equity businesses.
During a hearing last week on raising the cap, Kimberly Roy, a commissioner on the Cannabis Control Commission, submitted written testimony saying the current license limits “help to create a Massachusetts cannabis industry that encourages full participation, competition, locally owned and operated entrepreneurship … while fostering a diverse marketplace” and that proposals to change the cap “threaten to undermine these goals, harm those we are mandated to help and as a by-product may create a ‘Walmart effect’ supply chain where market consolidation, buying power and price manipulation can be controlled by the wealthy few.”
According to state data, as of March, there were 393 active adult-use cannabis dispensaries in the commonwealth, up from 356 in April 2024. Another 211 retail dispensary permits are in the approval process, which would make a possible total of 606 dispensaries statewide.
More than 70 cannabis-linked businesses in the state have signed a letter urging lawmakers to retain the caps. In that letter, opponents of raising the caps said the limits “are critical to fostering a competitive, diverse, and inclusive industry.”
“Protecting these limits,” the letter states, “ensures the Commonwealth remains a leader in equitable cannabis policy.”
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