Demand soaring at state's lone marijuana dispensary

Nevada is not alone in their battle with state regulations and limited marijuana supply. Massechusetts has the most strict standards in the country for contaminants in marijuana, which makes it extremely difficult for the state's only dispensary, Alternative Therapies Group, to keep buds in stock. State regulators passed new amendments this week allowing Alternative Therapies Group to start selling marijuana infused edibles and oils. Regulators also allowed a second dispenary to open and granted them a waiver to sell untested marijuana to get patients the medicine they need until state testing standards become more reasonable.

Nichole Snow, executive director of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, said the state’s decision to grant a waiver allowing sale of marijuana-infused products in Salem is welcome news, but hardly enough to meet demand.

In its application for a state license, Alternative Therapies projected it would serve about 1,500 patients its first year in business, the number they ended up serving in two months. But the initial estimate was adjusted upward. Far fewer licenses than expected were granted for the first year, increasing demand at the dispensaries that would open.