It does not seem far when the sale of recreational marijuana would be in full swing in the state of Massachusetts. State regulatory recently demonstrated their approval by clearing licenses of two Massachusetts Marijuana Testing labs so that they can officially commence their operations.
“Commence full operation” notices were issued to two labs, MCR Labs in Framingham and CDX Analytics in Salem by the Cannabis Control Commission. This has been possible after stringent inspections by the authorities who offered their consent in testing recreational pot for potency and purity.
Authorities speak about the license approval
This move is believed to be a crucial step in shooting up recreational sales as retail pot shops can sell products that have been tested by licensed labs.
The Executive Director of Cannabis Control Commission, Shawn Collins, stated recently that, “When Massachusetts voters legalized adult-use cannabis, they communicated a desire to purchase products that are safely regulated and properly tested”. He further added that, “The commission has done scrupulous due diligence to make that vision a reality and ensure licensed independent testing labs maximize public health and public safety”.
Clearing final hurdle before operations commence in full swing
The commission is ensuring that every possible measure is being taken in order to prevent the misuse of the licenses for Massachusetts Marijuana Testing. If the statements are to be believed, the labs need to wait before passing the final hurdle.
“A minimum of three calendar days to coordinate opening-day logistics with their host community, local law enforcement, marijuana establishment colleagues, and other essential stakeholders before adult-use operations begin”, the commission specified.
Move after mass voting to legalize use of marijuana
The announcement made by the commission is not quite surprising. It is evident that it comes two years after voting done by 1.8 million residents of Massachusetts to legalize the use of marijuana.
It was also voted to have an established system that could regulate the commercial sales of the recreational drug. The state lawmakers delayed the implementation shortly after the mass voting that took place in 2016.
The commission took time to carry out thorough inspection of marijuana businesses for compliance. It also revised a list of regulations mandated by the laws of the state.
“Full commence operations” awaited
The commission is yet to serve “commence full operations” notices to the two fully licensed retail stores: New England Treatment Access in Northampton and Cultivate in Leicester. The president of Cultivate, Sam Barber stated that a final walk-through of the facility is yet to be done before the sales take off.
He said that the company has completed the mandatory steps required for recreational sales such as uploading product inventory in the commission’s tracking system, submitting employee background checks, making security arrangements and getting waivers from the regulators to permit non-patients to shop from the store.
He stated, “As far as I know, we’ve gone through everything and checked the boxes”. He seemed optimistic about the move and was keen about the operations resuming as soon as possible.
A spokesman for New England Treatment Access, Peter Brown informed that the commission had not inspected its store. However, he said that the company is well equipped to open up after the approval from the regulators.
Welcome decision
The president of MCR Labs, a Massachusetts Marijuana Testing lab, Michael Kahn praised the move by the commission for permitting the laboratories to commence their operations.
“I’m very excited about this- it’s definitely a milestone”, Kahn stated. He also added that this wasn’t unexpected as his lab was in constant talks with the commission and a joint effort was carried out so that things start off seamlessly without hurdles.
CDX Analytics specified that the lab would provide a written notice to the companies to commence their operations immediately.
