State regulators voted Monday to limit the roll-out of recreational marijuana sales in July, postponing licensing of home delivery services and cannabis lounges while allowing retail marijuana shops and their suppliers to open in July as scheduled.
The Cannabis Control Commission had been under pressure to delay delivery and “social consumption” operations from Gov. Charlie Baker and other political figures, law enforcement officials and medical marijuana business interests, who had argued the nascent agency was trying to do too much at the outset and would struggle to oversee so many different types of operations.
“The administration is pleased that the commission has decided to primarily focus on establishing safe and responsible regulated retail sales as Mass. continues to implement this law,” Baker said in response to the vote.
The agency’s five commissioners, however, insisted they were not bowing to the governor, but rather they needed more time to work out rules aimed at preventing impaired driving, underage sales and other complexities.
