The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) on Thursday, November 14, approved the Commonwealth's first Marijuana Research Facility final license, marking continued progress toward achieving a greater understanding of the safety and applicability of regulated marijuana products through science.
Commissioners voted unanimously (4-0) at the agency's monthly public meeting to grant Curaleaf Processing, Inc. a final license to operate a Marijuana Research Facility in Newton. In September, the Commission's Investigations and Enforcement staff inspected the Marijuana Research Facility and found it to be in full compliance with the requirements under state law. Upon receiving administrative approval for any submitted Research Permit applications, Curaleaf Processing Inc. must then pass a final license inspection prior to being authorized to commence operations and begin research projects.
Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins said: "We are excited to move the state's first-ever Research Facility license forward in the hopes that it will contribute to a safer regulated cannabis industry, rooted in science. This licensee has worked diligently over the last two years to bring this facility to the Commonwealth, and we look forward to the work their team will accomplish after their receipt of a research permit."
Commissioner Nurys Camargo commented: "There is still so much to explore when it comes to cannabis policy – whether we are considering implications for public health and safety, medical uses, or the impacts of prohibition. While this licensee may be the first Research Facility to reach this point in the Commonwealth, it is my hope that others push on through the process and continue expanding our cannabis knowledge."
Marijuana Research Facility licenses are available to any academic institution, nonprofit corporation, or domestic corporation or entity authorized to do business in the Commonwealth that is interested in either conducting research involving cannabis directly or permitting external researchers with an approved Research Permit to conduct research involving cannabis within approved facilities. A Research Permit is a certificate from the Commission to conduct a specified research study over a specified and finite period and identifies the type of research study to be performed at the licensed premises of the Marijuana Research Facility.