Massachusetts regulators say a final vote on long-awaited social consumption regulations could arrive by Christmas, a timeline offered Friday by Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien as the agency welcomed a new commissioner.
Carrie Benedon, an attorney who currently serves as director of the Division of Open Government under Attorney General Andrea Campbell, has officially joined the CCC. She previously worked in Campbell’s Constitutional and Administrative Law Division and earlier represented the Department of Public Health in cases involving medical marijuana licensing authority. She fills the seat left vacant by Nurys Camargo, one of two positions selected jointly by the state’s three statewide officials.
Her arrival shifts the commission’s schedule. A potential vote on the final regulations had been on Friday’s agenda, but Commissioner Bruce Stebbins said the timing was pushed back to ensure Benedon can fully review the proposal. The CCC has been operating with just three active members for months due to one vacancy and the extended leave of Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion, leaving the body dependent on unanimous 3-0 votes.
Stebbins indicated additional meetings may be added before the year’s end. He said he hopes the commission can finish the rulemaking process before Christmas, noting that the remaining issues involve “granular” details needed to give licensees clear guidance.
Social consumption was authorized under the 2016 voter initiative that legalized recreational marijuana, but the regulatory framework has repeatedly been delayed. In July, the commission outlined three license categories: a pathway for existing marijuana establishments such as retailers and cultivators to allow on-site consumption of products purchased there; a hospitality license to enable non-cannabis businesses such as yoga studios and theaters to host consumption; and an event organizer license for temporary consumption at festivals and other gatherings.
Stebbins said recent delays are understandable and tied directly to staffing changes, emphasizing the importance of ensuring every commissioner contributes to the final rules. With Benedon now seated, the commission gains added flexibility, though two-two votes remain possible until Concepcion returns.
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