Massachusetts House Passes Bill to Reform Cannabis Laws

BOSTON – Friday, June 6, 2025 – The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a set of reforms to the Commonwealth’s cannabis laws that would allow the cannabis industry to continue growing responsibly. The bill makes changes to the structure of the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), increases the number of retail licenses that an entity may have, lowers the barrier to entry for medical marijuana retail, increases purchase limits for consumers and patients, and addresses the selling of hemp products.  

“This legislation not only makes needed changes to the structure of the Cannabis Control Commission, it’s also representative of the House’s commitment to ensuring that the cannabis industry in Massachusetts is regulated in a manner that bolsters economic opportunity, especially for communities that were disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank Chairman Donahue for his work on this issue, as well as all my colleagues in the House for recognizing the importance of these reforms.”  

“The Inspector General’s investigation reveals the need to overhaul the Commission’s current operations,” said Representative Tackey Chan (D-Quincy). “The reforms outlined in this bill will create clear accountability for the agency and are an essential step toward restoring public trust in an important regulatory agency.” 

The bill passed follows a 2022 update to cannabis laws by the Massachusetts Legislature which sought to encourage and facilitate participation in the cannabis industry from communities disproportionally harmed by marijuana criminalization by creating a Social Equity Trust Fund. That bill also strengthened the host community agreement process, clarified procedures for permitting social consumption sites, and expedited the expungement process for prior offenses that are now decriminalized. 

Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) 

The bill passed restructures the CCC, which implements and administers cannabis laws, to increase accountability. Currently, the Governor, Treasurer and Attorney General are appointing authorities to the CCC. The bill passed makes the Governor the sole appointing authority and requires the Chair of the CCC to serve coterminously with the Governor.  The bill also clarifies the roles of the Chair and the Executive Director (ED) by defining the Chair as the administrative head of the agency and having the ED report directly to the Chair. It also reduces the number of commissioners from five full-time commissioners to one full-time Chair and two part-time commissioners.  

The bill maintains the CCC’s policy independence and transparency by keeping “for cause” removal protections. It requires the CCC to maintain an online portal for the submission of anonymous complaints for suspected violations by licensees, to prepare a new report on public health, and to review its current testing and workplace safety regulations to ensure that they reflect the most up-to-date standards.  

The bill passed the House of Representatives 153-0. It now goes to the Senate for its consideration.