Cannabis deliveries have been approved in Massachusetts, bringing a new piece of the cannabis market to the state in the near future.

Massachusetts residents voted in favor of recreational marijuana back in 2016, and sales officially began in November of 2018. As of September 2019, new license types have been approved, including one to allow marijuana deliveries.

It’s not a free-for-all for cannabis businesses, though.

“With legalized delivery, we also have a chance to provide lower cost business opportunities to people who have struggled to become part of a marketplace with high start-up costs and limited or no access to traditional capital because of marijuana’s federally illegal status,” said Britte Mcbride of the Cannabis Control Commission.

The licenses will only be granted by the CCC to members of the social equity program and to small, approved local businesses with the intention of bringing those who have been disproportionately harmed by cannabis laws into the legal industry.

What legal deliveries in Massachusetts will look like

It’s pretty straightforward. Customers can’t smoke through a stash and order more on the same day, can’t have cannabis delivered in the middle of the night, nor can they pick up a delivery for someone under a different name.

• Customers will need to visit the dispensary they plan to order from in-person to verify their identity and age. After this step, they can order marijuana delivery to their home during given hours.

• Delivery people will only give the product to the name on the order, so they will check identification and verify age a second time upon delivery.

• Deliveries will be made from 8 am to 9 pm and anything delivered outside of those hours will be illegal.

• No more than one order can be placed per day, for no more than one ounce at a time. Dispensaries can lower their limits if they choose.

Regulations for delivery drivers

Delivery drivers are required to travel in groups of two at a minimum. They cannot carry more than $10,000 in product for fear of potential robberies and will be required to wear body cams for their protection.

Again, it’s not a free-for-all with marijuana delivery. College dorms, shelters, hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts are some of the places drivers cannot deliver to. Municipalities that have banned marijuana will not be delivered to either unless the communities decide they are okay with marijuana deliveries.

License exclusivities for the first two years

The plan for legal marijuana delivery in Massachusetts starts with applicants in the social equity program and small, local businesses approved by the CCC. For the first two years of marijuana delivery, no one else may participate.

Why? The CCC is aiming to fight back at some of the historically disproportionate harm marijuana laws have caused black and Latino communities. By promoting small businesses and minorities, the CCC plans to help those who have faced the most setbacks from marijuana prohibition become a bigger part of the legal industry.

The Social Equity Program and the CCC

The CCC’s Social Equity Program is meant to improve the quality of life for people in areas of disproportionate impact. Applicants in the program must:

• Live in an area of disproportionate impact for a minimum of 5 of the past 10 years and not make more than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level;

• Have been convicted of a drug-related offense and live in Massachusetts for at least 12 months before the conviction; or

• Be married to or the child of someone with a drug conviction who lived in Massachusetts at least 12 months before the conviction.

Since its establishment, the CCC has been committed to repairing the harm the war on drugs has caused specific communities.

“It’s clear from looking at the rollout of other states – many of which I was involved in – you can’t just hope for fairness and inclusion and have it happen,” said Shaleen Title of the CCC in an interview with Forbes.

With the rollout of marijuana deliveries in the state, members of disproportionately harmed communities have a chance to participate in the industry.

Deliveries will not be starting any time soon

It may be a few months before any legal deliveries take place in Massachusetts. Like any cannabis license, applicants will need to be approved through state and local processes.

“I think it’s too early for social consumption and delivery licenses,” Jennifer Flanagan of the Cannabis Control Commission told Boston Herald reporters. “That doesn’t mean we’re not fulfilling the will of the voters, it means that in my opinion as one commissioner, as the public health appointee to this commission, I think we need to take our time in doing that.

While marijuana delivery is on the horizon for social equity program applicants and small, local businesses, adult-use customers will have to hang tight for the program to officially launch.

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