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CCC reveals plans for ‘social consumption’ licenses. Here’s what that means for pot enthusiasts.
There’s still a long road ahead for pot cafes and other social consumption venues, as regulators anticipate months of discussion and a lengthy implementation phase.
Cannabis tasting rooms? Pot cafes? Toasted yoga? Far from pipe dreams, these options are inching closer to reality in Massachusetts after state regulators proposed three types of “social consumption” marijuana licenses last week.
The state’s Cannabis Control Commission presented its social consumption regulatory framework Thursday, outlining a vision for designated spaces where consumers can purchase and enjoy marijuana, much like a bar or cigar lounge.
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Acting CCC Chair Bruce Stebbins acknowledged some degree of unofficial social consumption is already happening in Massachusetts, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2016 and saw its first adult-use dispensaries open a couple years later.
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“Folks organize events with BYOC [bring your own cannabis],” he noted. “We understand that’s going on.”
And yet, Stebbins added later, “In these settings, there’s always risks of people consuming untested or unsafe products.”
The 2016 ballot measure that legalized adult-use marijuana in Massachusetts also allowed the Cannabis Commission Control to license social consumption establishments, but the state delayed implementation. Officials have spent years considering what the path forward should look like; last year, state regulators scrapped a pilot program that would have gradually tested cannabis cafes in a dozen communities, choosing instead to focus on statewide licensing and regulation.
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“This framework and the accompanying regulations represent our exhaustive and thoughtful work,” Stebbins said Thursday. “It is no way intended to have every answer to every question. We know that this space within the industry has the opportunity to be innovative while continuing to be compliant and successful.”
What types of social consumption would be allowed?
The CCC’s presentation lays out three different license classes, including a supplemental option for existing marijuana businesses that want to add something like a cafe or tasting room for on-site consumption. A “hospitality” license would cover a “new or existing non-cannabis commercial business space,” per the presentation. (Think: a yoga studio, theater, or comedy club where guests could consume marijuana.)
“We’ve often used the example of a gas station and a Dunkin’ Donuts within the gas station to kind of give the example of what it could potentially look like,” explained Mike Baker, the CCC’s acting deputy general counsel.
A third license type would be aimed at event organizers planning gatherings like concerts or festivals, and each event’s length would be capped at five days.
The commission’s presentation also discussed safeguards for social consumption establishments, including requirements for food service and a sort of “last call” cut-off 30 minutes before closing time.
When can we expect pot cafes in Massachusetts?
There’s still a long road ahead, with regulators anticipating months of discussion and a lengthy implementation phase. Municipalities will also need to opt into social consumption through referendums or local ordinance.
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The Cannabis Control Commission is aiming to release its draft of the social consumption regulations for an informal public comment period on Dec. 17.
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