Chapter 94G of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 22 the following section:-

Section 23. (a) Notwithstanding section 4(a)(x) and section 5 of this chapter, or any other general or special law, rule, regulation, or order to the contrary, from the effective date of this section until 180 days after the publication of the report to the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy of the General Court pursuant to subsection (b), the commission shall not issue any marijuana retailer, marijuana cultivator or marijuana product manufacturer licenses to any person or entity unless such person or entity has submitted a marijuana establishment license application that has been deemed complete by the commission prior to the effective date of this section or unless such person is a participant in the social equity or economic empowerment program established by section 22 of this chapter. The moratorium established under this subsection shall not prohibit the issuance of any social consumption license.

(b) The Cannabis Control Commission shall conduct or retain an outside expert in economic analysis to conduct and publish a study analyzing the businesses licensed under this chapter.  The study shall analyze the appropriate number of licenses to be licensed under this chapter, the adequacy of cannabis supply for patients and consumers, or whether an oversupply harms market participants, and the adequacy of the commission’s enforcement of its regulations with respect to cultivation tiers. The Commission shall publish the results of the study on its official website and submit a copy to the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy.

(c) The Commission shall commence the study required under subsection (b) no later than 30 days after the effective date of this section.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the moratorium established by this section shall not exceed one year from the effective date of this section.

(e) This section shall be effective upon passage.