Cannabis Control Commission weighs in on industry 5 years after legalization
The Cannabis industry in Massachusetts is now worth one billion dollars and growing, according to some estimates. What was once a part of the black market is now highly regulated, tested, and profitable.
WHAT WAS ONCE AN UNDERGROUND MARKET IS NOW HIGHLY REGULATED, TESTED, AND PROFITAB.LE >> THE RECATREIONAL USE OF MARIJUANA HAS BEEN LEGALLY IN MASSACHUSETTS FOR NEARLY FIVE YESAR NOW. SINCE VOTERS APPROVED THE CHANGE IN 2016, THE STATE HAS BIRTHED AN INDUSYTR, APPROVING NEARLY 900 LICENSE APPLICATIONS, RETAILERS, CULTIVATORS, TESTING LABS, AND OTHERS. >>BS, AND OTHERS. BUILDING SOMETHING FROM NOTHING WHILE ALSO REGULATING IN A N END — REGULATING AN INDURYST FROM ITS INCEPTION, THOSE CHALLENGES ARE MASSIVE. I THINK THAT A LOT OF FOLKS’ WORST FEARS HAVE NOT COME TRUE. WE HAVE A SAFE INDUSTRY WITH A FOCUS ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HLTH.EA IT IS ONE OF THE MOST TIGHTLY REGULATED INDUSTRIES IN THE COUNTRY. >> THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST TESTED PRODUCT WE HAVE FOR SALE IN THE ENTIRE STETA. >> MIKE IS THE CEO OF MCR LABS IN FRAMINGHAM, ONE OF FOUR INDENDPEENT LABS LICENSED TO TEST CANNABIS IN THE STATE. >> IF YOU WANT TO ADD BILL AT THE DRUGSTORE, YOU KNOW THOSE SAMPLES ARE 200IL MLIGRAMS. HERE, WE WANT TO SHOWUR O CLIENTS HOW POTENT THEIR CANNABIS PRODUCTS ARE SO THEY CAN PROPERLY LABEL THEM. >> IN ADDITION TO THE POTENCY PROFILE, EACH SAMPLE IS SCREENED FOR A NUMBER OF CONTAMINANTS, INCLUDING PESTICIDES, RESIDUAL SOLVENTS, AND HEAVY METALS. >> IF THERE IS ANY LEAD IN THERE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET IT OUT. WE MICROWAVE IT IN STRONG ACID. >> MCR TESTS HUNDRSED OF SAMPLES PER DAY FROM RETAILERS, MANUFACTURS,ER AND EVEN HOME GROWERS. >> WE HAVE A RIGOROUS PROCE TOSS MAKE SURE WE ARE ACCURATE. >> BUSINESSS I GRONGWI STEADILY AND NOW EMPLOYS ABOUT 150 PEOPLE. >>E HAVE DOUBLED IN SIZE PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR, MORE OR LESS FROM 2013 UP UNTIL TODAY. > MIKE CONSIDERS THE WORK THEY DO HERE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY. >> THIS IS HOW WE DIFFERENTIATE THE REGULATED MARKET FROM THE REUNGULATED MARKET. THIS IS HOW WE CAN ENSURE CONFIDENCE IN THE PRODUCT. >> IN ADDITION TO QUALITY CONTROL AND SAFETY,HE T CCC IS CONFIDENT IN ITS TRANSPARENCY. >> THE THINGS WE ARE PROUD OF OUR OUR OPEN DATA STRATEGY AROUND PUBLISHING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO BOTH OTHER STATES AS WELL AS FOLKS WHO MAY WANT TO GEINT TO THIS INDUSTRY HAVE ACCESS TO INFORMATION. >> THE CCC ALSO LAUNEDCH ECONOMIC AND POWER MEANTND A SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS, AIMED AT IMPROVGIN PARTICIPATION IN THE INDUSTRY BY PEOPLE DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMED I MARIJUANA PROHIBITION AND ENFORCEMENT. >> WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYONE INTERESTED IN ENTERING T SHECEPA THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. >> HOWEVER, OF THE NEARLY 900 LICENSE APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE CCC, JUST SIX TEAM PERCENTS — JUST 16% ARE PARTICIPANTS IN THOSE PROGRAMS. YOU WANT TO SEE A MORE ROBUST MBERNU? >> ABSOLUTELY NOT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT REMAINS A PRIORITY. WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THEIR STANDARDS NOT PASSING. HE HAD A LOT OF WORK IN EQUITY TO DO STILL, AND WE INTEND TO DO THAT, AND I HOPE FOLKS REALIZE THE COMMITMENT IS SINCERE. >> IN JUNE, THE CCC BEGAN OFFERING TECHNALIC ASSISNCTAE, WAIVED FEES, AND EXPEDITED LICENSE APPLICATION REVIEW TO THOSE WHO QUALIFY. FIVE YEARS HAVE GONE BY. YOU SAID IT HAS BEEN A JOURNEY. A LOT OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. I AM CURIOUS WHERE YOU SEE THE COMMISSION, THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY IN MASSACHUSETTS FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. >> I HOPE IT IS A COMMODITY, JUST LIKYOE UR CORNER STORE. I HOPE IT FOLDS INTO THE FABRIC OFHE T COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT LARGELY HAS. SHAY:NA THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION RECENTLY LAUNCHED A THIRD ROUND OF THE SOCIAL EQTYUI PROGRAM. THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR THE THIRD COHORT IS IN SEPTEMBER. AND BACK TO MCR LABS, THEY’RE PLANNING TO EXPAND, BOTH HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS TO A BIGGER FACILITY AND INTO OTHER STATES. NEXT, FOOD DELIVERY, WINE DELIVERY, NOW CANNABIS RIGHT TO YOUR
Cannabis Control Commission weighs in on industry 5 years after legalization
The Cannabis industry in Massachusetts is now worth one billion dollars and growing, according to some estimates. What was once a part of the black market is now highly regulated, tested, and profitable.
The recreational use of marijuana has been legal in Massachusetts for nearly five years — voters approved the change in 2016. The following year, the Cannabis Control Commission was formed to apply and administer the laws enabling access to marijuana. Since its inception, the CCC has birthed an industry – approving nearly 900 license applications for retails, cultivators, testing labs and others. One of four independent labs licensed by the state to test cannabis is MCR Labs. The samples sent here are assigned a potency profile and are screened for a number of contaminants including pesticides, residual solvents and heavy metals.
The recreational use of marijuana has been legal in Massachusetts for nearly five years — voters approved the change in 2016. The following year, the Cannabis Control Commission was formed to apply and administer the laws enabling access to marijuana. Since its inception, the CCC has birthed an industry – approving nearly 900 license applications for retails, cultivators, testing labs and others.
One of four independent labs licensed by the state to test cannabis is MCR Labs. The samples sent here are assigned a potency profile and are screened for a number of contaminants including pesticides, residual solvents and heavy metals.