Cannabis Control Commission Seeks Feedback on Chapter 65 Emergency Regulations

The updated regulations will increase license ownership caps and daily purchasing limits

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) will host a public hearing beginning at 10 a.m. on July 30 and a public comment period from Friday, July 3 to Thursday, July 30 to receive feedback from the public on emergency regulations approved by the Commission on June 17.  

The Commission used an emergency process to update regulations to increase license ownership caps and daily purchasing limits in order to comply with a deadline outlined in Ch. 65 of the Acts of 2026: An Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws.

Ch. 65 gave the Commission 60 days from when the governor signed the law on April 19 to increase the Adult-use retail license cap from three to up to six licenses. The statute provides an exclusivity period where only Social Equity Businesses (SEBs)—businesses comprised of majority ownership of individuals who are Social Equity Program Participants or Economic Empowerment Priority Applicants—are eligible to receive a sixth retail license for the first 12 months in the future when the Commission begins accepting applications. During that 12-month period, the Commission may not grant more than five retail licenses to any licensee that is not an SEB.   

Ch. 65 also increased daily purchase limits immediately on April 19 from 1 to 2 ounces of cannabis, these emergency regulations are updating Commission regulations to formally reflect the increase.  

The updated regulations will:  

• Allow SEBs to possess up to six retail licenses;   
• Allow non-SEBs to possess up to five retail licenses for the first 12 months after the Commission begins accepting applications;   
• After the 12-month period, non-SEBs may be granted up to six retail licenses;   
• Grant a single licensee the ability to hold up to three fully integrated Medical Marijuana Establishment licenses;   
• Increase the amount of financial interest a person or entity can hold in a license without being counted toward the license cap from 10 percent to less than 20 percent, so long as that person or entity does not otherwise have direct or indirect control, such as being an executive or voting board member;   
• For background check purposes, regulations will still require persons or entities with 10 percent or greater financial interest in a license to meet suitability standards;   
• Exempt a person from license caps who is acting only as a trustee during and after the sale of a marijuana establishment or medical marijuana establishment through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); and  
• Formally increase adult-use purchase limits from 1 ounce to 2 ounces.  

According to the emergency regulation process, the regulations will be in effect temporarily for three months as the Commission completes the public comment process. Compliance with the public comment process will make the emergency regulations permanent.  

Stakeholders may submit written comments via email at Commission@CCCMass.com with the subject line “Chapter 65 Emergency Regulations” starting on Friday, July 3 until 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 30.   

To give testimony in person or remotely on July 30 at the agency’s Union Station headquarters at 2 Washington Sq, Worcester, MA 01604, stakeholders are encouraged to sign-up by 5 p.m. on July 28. Each speaker will be given three minutes to provide their testimony and may submit written testimony via email.  

Any materials sent to the Commission may be subject to disclosure in response to a public records request pursuant to the Public Records laws, G.L. c.4 §7 cl. 26 and G.L. c.66 §10.  Feedback may be used by Commissioners to inform policy deliberations. For more information, contact the Commission by phone (774-415-0200) or email (Commission@CCCMass.com). 

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