Massachusetts Cannabis and Marijuana License

Massachusetts Cannabis and Marijuana License

In July 2017, the government of Massachusetts accepted the legalization of recreational marijuana. To start a marijuana business in Massachusetts you need to get a Massachusetts Marijuana License. The Commission of Cannabis Control is in charge of creating procedures and policies.

Types of Marijuana Licenses in Massachusetts

Cannabis Cultivation Permit, Craft Cannabis Cooperative, Manufacturer of Cannabis Product, Retailer of Cannabis, Transporter of Cannabis, Cannabis Facility of Research, and also Microbusiness Cannabis. The very first thing that you need to do to get a Marijuana license in Massachusetts is to complete the application for a license and pay the fee. Which varies according to the license type you want. Candidates for ME licensing as a ME do not need to show a certain level of financial resources to get a Marijuana License in Massachusetts. Applicants who wish to be MTCs, on the other hand, must show $500,000 in financing sources in the 1st application. Also an extra $400,000 on their 2nd and 3rd applications.

How to get a Massachusetts marijuana license?

First of all, to start a marijuana business in Massachusetts you need to get a Massachusetts Marijuana License. In July 2017, the government of Massachusetts accepted the legalization of recreational marijuana.

The Commission of Cannabis Control is in charge of creating procedures and policies to ” encourage and promote active involvement in the controlled cannabis market by communities of people that have been significantly harmed before by cannabis enforcement and prohibition.”

Types of Marijuana Licenses in Massachusetts

Cannabis Cultivation Permit

A Cannabis Cultivator can package, process and grow, cannabis, as well as distribute and transfer cannabis goods to weed businesses, but cannot sell it to consumers. The license of Cannabis Cultivators have 11 categories based on the sizes of the canopies the applicant intends to use:

  • 1st Tier: -5,000 square feet
  • 2nd Tier: 5,001-10,000 square feet
  • 3rd Tier: 10,001-20,000 square feet
  • 4th Tier: 20,001-30,000 square feet
  • 5th Tier: 30,001-40,000 square feet
  • 6th Tier: 40,001-50,000 square feet
  • 7th Tier: 50,001-60,000 square feet
  • 8th Tier: 60,001-70,000 square feet
  • 9th Tier: 70,001-80,000 square feet
  • 10th Tier: 80,001-90,000 square feet
  • 11th Tier: 90,001-100,000 square feet

Craft Cannabis Cooperative

A Cannabis Cultivator who can brand cannabis, package, process, manufacture, obtain and cultivate. With this license, you can also deliver cannabis products, but only to the Cannabis Establishments, so you cannot sell them to consumers. To get for this sort of license, you’ll have to get a group that includes the following individuals:

  • In the previous 5 years, the Craft Cannabis Cooperative member have to have completed a form of tax of F Schedule (stating agricultural revenue).
  • A Craft Cannabis Cooperative does not have limitations to a specific cultivation location number, but for authorized activities for manufacturers of cannabis products, the whole canopy that you should have is 3 locations for authorized activities manufacturers of cannabis products and 100,000 sq. ft.
  • A member of Craft Cannabis Cooperative cannot own an interest in controlling any other cannabis industry.
  • Only one Craft Cannabis Cooperative license can per firm have.
  • Residents of Massachusetts who have established a corporation with cooperative, partnership with limited liability, or corporation with limited liability.

Manufacturer of Cannabis Product

A Manufacturer of Cannabis Products is a company that can package, process, produces and obtain weed and weed products. As well as transfer and distribute cannabis. But with this license, you can only deliver cannabis products to Establishments of Cannabis. And you cannot deliver it to the consumers.

Retailer of Cannabis

A Cannabis Retailer is a business that has the permission to buy and transport weed and weed products from Cannabis Establishments. As well as transfer and sell weed and weed products to Establishments weed and consumers.

Transporter of Cannabis

If your business has a license as a Cannabis Transporter, it can only transfer cannabis or cannabis products where such activities aren’t already permitted under a Cannabis Establishment permit:

Transporter of Third-Party: In Massachusetts, a company that has a registration of business that doesn’t own another Establishment of Cannabis under 500.050 CMR 935 and isn’t a licensed cannabis dispensary under 725.000 CMR 105.

Existing Transporter license: A cannabis business that wants to be a partner with another business to deliver its cannabis and cannabis products.

Cannabis Facility of Research

A Cannabis Facility of Research is an entity, or a private corporation, a non-profit organization, or academic institution, that has permission to conduct business in this state. Also, a Cannabis Facility of Research may produce, buy, or get cannabis in order to perform cannabis and cannabis-related research. A Board of Institutional Review must approve any experiments projects with humans. It is illegal for a Cannabis Facility of Research to sell weed that it has grown.

Microbusiness Cannabis.

The co-operation of the 1st Tier of Manufacturer of cannabis products and/or Cannabis Cultivator with a yearly maximum of 2,000-pound weed. That is purchased from another Establishment of Cannabis. This all is a microbusiness.

A licensee of Microbusiness may not possess an interest in another Establishments of Cannabis, and the main part of members or executives have to live in Massachusetts state for at least a year previous to applying.

How to Obtain a Marijuana License in Massachusetts

The very first thing that you need to do to receive a Marijuana license in Massachusetts is to complete the application for a license and pay the fee. Which varies according to the license type you want. And here is the 3 application parts:

  • Operation Profile and Managements
  • Background check
  • Intent application

Each part contains questions where you have to give all appropriate info about your company. Also, you should provide info about entities and individuals associated related to your company. As well as to show that they understand also intend to follow the Regulation of Commission that are unique for every license type of applicant, scale, and location. The criteria for both medical and adult-use applications for a license are largely the same. But have these sections highlighting the variations.

Intent Application

The applicant must disclose Entities or Persons Having indirect or Direct Control in the licensing application under the Intent Application.

Any entity or person that has indirect influence over the activities of an MTC or ME has to control indirectly. It particularly covers any entity or person in a status to have indirect control over the Center of Cannabis Treatment or Establishment of Marijuana, as well as the CEO of the company and those firm’s executive director.

People who exercise control via the contribution of the service can apply. A person can exercise control over a business by making choices regarding its, for instance, operations or management. Individuals who supply services but do not exercise control don’t need to disclose. Applicants, for example, are exempt from disclosing consultants who advise but don’t decide things for the institution.

During this step, every applicant must reveal and provide the following information:

  • Fee for application
  • Plan to Help People Who Have Been Harmfully Affected by
  • Make a plan to stay in compliance with local laws.
  • Documentation and attestation of Community Outreach Meetings
  • Certification of the Agreement of Community Host
  • Identification of the documentation and property of the owner’s interest
  • Escrow or Bond
  • Capital Resources
  • Out-of-State Interests
  • In-State Interests

Checking Your Background

Every applicant should include any relevant people and entities, as well as all disclosures of background and permission papers, in this portion of the Application for marijuana license of Massachusetts. Every person or entity indicated in the Intent Applicant part must be mentioned in the Check of Background section as well. Entities and individuals will be subjected to a thorough check for background, as well as fingerprints tests.

Also, the Board has to determine each company and individual mentioned on fitness for license application. This is the part of the check. An examination of the above items will be conducted as part of the check for background:

  • Any measures were taken against the entity or individual’s registration or license.
  • Other marijuana-related enterprises in which the corporation or individual is involved;
  • Records of a civil database from Massachusetts and around the country, including vocational and professional records;
  • Records from Massachusetts and national criminal databases;
  • Any measures were taken against the entity or individual’s license or registration.
  • Other marijuana-related enterprises in which the corporation or individual is involved;
  • Records of Civil database from Massachusetts and around the country, including vocational and professional records
  • Records from Massachusetts and national criminal databases;

Profile of Operations and Management

The information requested in this part demonstrates that the candidate is aware of the current standards to run a ME, such as the regulation of the Commission. Also, that the candidate has plans tailored to the ME’s scale, location, and type of license. Also will have the permit to conduct business legally.

All candidates will have to supply the following information, so they can complete this part of the application for the marijuana license of Massachusetts:

  • Plan of Diversity
  • Procedures, Policies, Operating Plans and Procedures summary
  • Proposed Timeline, Plan of Liability Insurance, and Plan of Business
  • Good Standing Certificates, and
  • Bylaws, Organization Articles, and Business Information

What does a Massachusetts Weed License cost?

Candidates for ME licensing as a Marijuana Establishment do not need to show a certain level of financial resources to get a Marijuana License in Massachusetts. Applicants who wish to be MTCs, on the other hand, must show $500,000 in financing sources in the 1st application. Also an extra $400,000 on their 2nd and 3rd applications.

Although, it’s important to note that is only the bare minimum. You don’t need to plan for more to be eligible to get a permit. In this regard, we propose that any ME candidate seeks $250,000-$1,000,000, based on the license type desired, whereas MTCs can strive for $750,000 or more.

In addition, any applicant must reserve a sufficient amount through the guarantor or escrow account to satisfy the decommissioning and reduction of MTC or ME. The amount deducted must be sufficient to satisfy the value of meeting current municipal or tax obligations, the cost of protecting the licensee’s facilities, and the cost of destroying the licensee’s cannabis and products.

Additionally, If the candidate obtains a security deposit, the applicant will allocate their license fee in full in accordance with the provisions of 500005 or 501005 of CMR 935. If the candidate proves an account of escrow, the candidate must reserve at least US $5,000 and encourage the applicant to reserve the full license fee, if the costs have been reduced.

Karine H

Karine H

Karine is a newcomer in the content writing field. She is studying biomedical engineering at NPUA, previously she studied marketing at LPFA. Also, she takes part in different engineering projects and competitions like USWC 21 - Venture Cup. She started content writing a year ago and since then wrote about 100 articles for various websites. Karine has done various volunteering work, business meetings, etc. According to Karine, all the volunteer jobs helped her improve her communication, team working, problem-solving skills, which nowadays helps her in content writing as she knows what people want to hear, and what information they need. This is just the beginning and everything just stats for this girl.