The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday extended the period of time that licenses for cannabis delivery are restricted to social equity applicants by one year but punted the decision on whether to extend further, citing a need for more data collection.
Delivery licenses have been restricted to those who qualify for license categories targeted toward individuals impacted by the war on drugs during a 3-year "exclusivity period." It's approaching the end of that period, but social equity delivery businesses have argued that the exclusivity period must be extended because the commission has only last fall removed a cumbersome rule that mandated that every delivery must be completed by two drivers.
Many in the industry have said that the two-driver rule made the business model unsustainable and that the period must be extended until the social equity businesses were able to be profitable.
The commission has until April 1, 2026, to make a decision on whether to extend the exclusivity period past the one-year extension that was voted on today. Commissioners need more data to see whether the goals of the exclusivity period—to promote the full participation in the cannabis industry delivery of people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition—have been met in order to extend the exclusivity period further.
Read more at Marijuana Moment