Top Massachusetts Marijuana Regulator Committed to Timely Implementation of Recreational Pot Law

September 07, 2017 Massachusetts

On Wednesday, September 7, the leading marijuana regulator of Massachusetts made a commitment to implement the state’s recreational pot law. Additionally, he promised to do all he can to ensure the timely implementation of the law including following a timetable for opening and licensing retail stores. However, he made it clear that achieving the above won’t be easy.

Speaking publicly for the first time since being appointed as Cannabis Control Commission’s Charmain, Steven Hoffman, a now retired business professional, explained his decision to vote against the upcoming November Ballot initiative that aimed to make recreational use of cannabis legal. Following were his exact words:

“I actually supported the objectives of the initiative. My concern as a private citizen was I thought the timeline was pretty short to deal with some of the complexities and public safety issues involved in implementing the law, but I am a supporter of the objectives of the law.”

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In addition to Hoffman, 3 of the 4 other commissioners who were appointed by the state also voted against the initiative. This prompted a reaction from advocates of marijuana legalization. They were concerned a delay in implementation or an antagonistic approach towards the cannabis industry might be considered by the panel.

A newly created 5-member panel, the Cannabis Control Commission will supervise medical and recreational cannabis. Important deadlines in the law approved by voters were delayed by six months by the legislature. Moreover, it concocted changes that included sterner regulations for packaging and labelling cannabis products and higher taxes on pot.

The initial pot shops are scheduled to open by mid-2018 but on Wednesday, Hoffman made it clear that further delays could not be entirely ruled out. According to him, the first meeting of the commissioners will be held on Tuesday which would kick off the staff recruitment process. The Commission is looking to hire people will experience in the legal cannabis industry. This is what Hoffman had to say about that, “We recognize that we have a lot of work to do in a very short time, but we are committed to working as hard and as effectively as possible to get the job done, fairly safely and on time.”

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The Cannabis Control Commission Charmain revealed that he used pot in college and high school but rarely since. However, according to him, he did visit a cannabis shop with his wife in Colorado in 2016, where he bought a joint that he later smoked. Recalling his visit to the store, Hoffman said that the store’s security and the ‘wide range’ of products for sale impressed him.

Arguing that the two million dollars allocated for this fiscal year by the state isn’t enough to meet the deadlines, marijuana law supporters publicly requested the chairman to increase the commission’s funding.

In addition to Hoffman, other commission members include former state attorney general Britte Mcbride, former Democratic State Senator Jennifer Flanagan and former legal counsel to the medical cannabis program of the state Kay Doyle.

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