Recreational marijuana shops in Mass. might not be able to open by July 1

The official deadline to begin Massachusett's new recreational cannabis program is set at July 1st, but the chairman of the state's Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) said this week that that date is arbitrary and not a mandate. If possible the commission hopes to have at least some dispensaries operating by the deadline but they have made it clear that they don't want to cut any corners with regulations, background checks, licensing, etc, and will take the necessary time to make sure the program starts in proper working order. No cannabis licenses have been awarded yet but 53 business licenses have been applied for and now sit in a 60-day window to make sure the applications meet all the requirements. Last week's CCC meeting didn't actually discuss any licensing and instead focused on further regulations and incoming research on public health, safety and the societal effects that legalization may have.

‘‘We are going to do this right,’’ he said. “If that means we have few or no stores on July 1 and it takes a few more weeks, I hope and expect that everybody in the state believes that’s the right thing to do. We certainly believe that’s the right thing to do.”