Massachusetts has granted its first-ever cannabis research facility license to Curaleaf Processing, a division of multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) unanimously approved the license, allowing the facility to operate in Newton, according to a press release from the agency.
“We are excited to move the state’s first-ever Research Facility license forward in the hopes that it will contribute to a safer regulated cannabis industry, rooted in science,” said CCC Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins.
Curaleaf, headquartered in Massachusetts, operates 149 marijuana retail locations and 19 cultivation sites across 17 states. The research facility license permits academic institutions, nonprofits, or commercial entities to conduct specified research studies for a set duration.
Massachusetts joins four other states—New York, Connecticut, Washington, and Colorado—that currently offer cannabis research licenses. Nationwide, 15 such licenses have been issued, though only 10 research facilities are operational, according to the CCC.
According to the CCC, there was over $500 million worth of legal marijuana sold between July and September, at an average price of $4.85 per gram and $137.61 per ounce.
Marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts in 2016, with the law allowing those 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants for personal use. The first licensed marijuana store opened in 2018.
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