The Legal Joint

WHY IS LEGAL MA*****NA SO PRICEY IN MASSACHUSETTS?

Massachusetts residents are paying a high price for legal ma*****na. Retail prices for cannabis in the recreational/adult use market range from $50-$60 for one-eighth of an ounce of flower. A vaporizer pen with cannabis concentrate averages over $50 compared to a similar product in other states with legal ma*****na like California, Colorado, Illinois and Oregon. Why the high price for the high here in the Bay State? Several factors contribute to the prices charged at local dispensaries. First, the seasonal climate here limits ma*****na cultivators to primarily indoor growing facilities that can have costly overheads to set up and maintain. Next, the statewide licensing process is costly and lengthy. "Four years after voters signed off on legal cannabis, there are just 36 cultivators and 70 retailers operating in the [Massachusetts] recreational market." See Boston Globe article 10/19/20 below. Other factors include the inexperience of Mass growers compared to longer established legal ma*****na states such as California and Colorado. As a result, "studies suggest that of the 20% of Mass residents who consumer ma*****na, a majority are sticking with the illicit (and illegal) market. While purchasing ma*****na at an adult use dispensary is legal here, purchasing ma*****na from "the dude" or friends is still a crime here. It is, however, also legal in Mass to grow your own ma*****na (6 plants per person and up to 12 per household) and to receive or gift ma*****na to others.

Sky high: Mass. ma*****na is among the most expensive in the nation - The Boston Globe In most cases, cannabis here is even pricier than in other states that legalized the drug more recently.

What's next for cannabis in the Commonwealth in 2019? Pot cafes and home delivery could be the next cannabis business permitted and licensed in the state. The Cannnabis Control Commission will meet this Thursday to discuss the possibility of licensing pot cafes where adult users of recreational ma*****na can legally consume ma*****na. Additionally, they will discuss public safety and health concerns for both social consumption cafes and ma*****na home delivery services. https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/ma*****na/2019/01/08/social-ma*****na-consumption-home-delivery-discussed/LzpTAocnpGgGRYN3tix1tL/story.html

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Thanks-giving in Mass for the opening of the first recreational ma*****na shops!

Finally, after two long years, Massachusetts residents can legally purchase ma*****na and ma*****na products at two locations n Western Massachusetts. Lines were long, but customers seemed thrilled to be among the first to legally purchase their ma*****na.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/ma*****na/2018/11/20/first-recreational-pot-shops-mass-open-today/vZ7GY3OpSqEPCV6sD5zKRP/story.html

Although possession and use of ma*****na has been legal for sometime in the Commonwealth, this marks the beginning of a new era for residents. Its important to keep in mind that there are rules regarding the amount of ma*****na that can be purchased, and driving under the influence of ma*****na is still a crime in the state.

Here is what is being offered for sale at the two newly opened dispensaries:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/ma*****na/2018/11/19/here-what-menus-massachusetts-first-ma*****na-dispensaries-look-like/J0mOzTKtsGyq8k5WJEm6ZI/story.html?p1=Article_Recommended_ReadMore_Pos1

Massachusetts begins recreational ma*****na sales, first on the East Coast - The Boston Globe Stores in Leicester and Northampton opened Tuesday, becoming the first ones to sell recreational ma*****na on the East Coast, two years after Massachusetts voters passed the measure.