A comprehensive cannabis reform bill backed by 15 bipartisan lawmakers was officially introduced today in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and has been reported favorably by the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy.
The bill, House Bill 4160, titled An Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws, has now been referred to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. The legislation is sponsored by lawmakers from both parties and aims to modernize and streamline the state’s marijuana and hemp regulations.
Among the many provisions, the measure would establish a new three-member Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, with commissioners appointed by the governor and tasked with overseeing both the marijuana and hemp industries. The bill would also create a Cannabis Advisory Board composed of experts and stakeholders from public health, law enforcement, social justice, agriculture, and industry to provide policy recommendations to the commission.
The proposal includes numerous reforms across the marijuana and hemp sectors. These include:
- Replacing all references to “medical marijuana treatment centers” with the broader term “medical marijuana establishments.”
- Establishing licensing and taxation structures for consumable CBD products and hemp-infused beverages, including a new 5.35% retail tax on consumable CBD items.
- Prohibiting intoxicating hemp products from being sold outside the regulated marijuana market.
- Expanding personal marijuana possession limits from one ounce to two ounces.
- Increasing marijuana retailer license caps and explicitly authorizing employee stock ownership programs for marijuana businesses.
The legislation also imposes strict packaging rules for topical hemp products, enhances enforcement powers for local health boards, and establishes off-the-shelf testing standards for CBD and hemp beverage products.
With the bill now before House Ways and Means, it must receive approval from that committee before heading to the full House floor. If enacted, H 4160 would mark one of the most significant overhauls of Massachusetts cannabis policy since voters approved adult-use marijuana in 2016.
