Section 1: Definitions
Section 1. As used in this chapter the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
"Bona fide healthcare professional-patient relationship'', a relationship between a registered healthcare professional, acting in the usual course of his or her professional practice, and a patient in which the healthcare professional has conducted a clinical visit, completed and documented a full assessment of the patient's medical history and current medical condition, has explained the potential benefits and risks of medical use of marijuana, and has a role in the ongoing care and treatment of the patient.
[ Definition of "Card holder'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Card holder'', a registered qualifying patient, personal caregiver or agent of a medical marijuana treatment center who has been issued and possesses a valid registration card.
[ Definition of "Card holder'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 38 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Card holder'', a registered qualifying patient, personal caregiver or agent of a medical marijuana establishment who has been issued and possesses a valid registration card.
[ Definition of "Commission'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Commission'', the Massachusetts cannabis control commission established pursuant to section 76 of chapter 10.
[ Definition of "Commission'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 39 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Commission'', the Massachusetts cannabis control commission established pursuant to section 223 of chapter 6.
[ Definition of "Cultivation registration'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Cultivation registration'', a registration issued to a medical marijuana treatment center to grow medical use marijuana under the terms of this chapter, or to a qualified patient or personal caregiver.
[ Definition of "Cultivation registration'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 40 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Cultivation registration'', a registration issued to a medical marijuana establishment to grow medical use marijuana under the terms of this chapter, or to a qualified patient or personal caregiver.
"Debilitating medical condition'', cancer, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatitis C, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and other conditions as determined in writing by a registered qualifying patient's registered healthcare professional.
"Electronic certification'', a document signed or executed electronically by a registered healthcare professional, stating that in the healthcare professional's professional opinion, the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient. Such certification shall be made only in the course of a bona fide healthcare professional-patient relationship and shall specify the qualifying patient's debilitating medical condition. Electronic certifications, upon submission by a healthcare professional to the commission, shall automatically generate a temporary registration.
[ Definition of "Fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center'' inserted by 2026, 65, Sec. 41 effective April 19, 2026.]
"Fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center'', an entity licensed by the commission with the ability to cultivate, manufacture, process and sell medical use marijuana to qualifying patients, personal caregivers and medical marijuana establishments.
"Healthcare professional'', a duly Massachusetts licensed physician, physician assistant or certified nurse practitioner authorized by the commission to issue written certifications.
[ Definition of "Locked area'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Locked area'', a closet, room, greenhouse or other indoor or outdoor area equipped with locks or other security devices, accessible only to registered and authorized medical marijuana treatment center employees, registered qualifying patients or registered personal caregivers.
[ Definition of "Locked area'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 42 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Locked area'', a closet, room, greenhouse or other indoor or outdoor area equipped with locks or other security devices, accessible only to registered and authorized medical marijuana establishment employees, registered qualifying patients or registered personal caregivers.
[ Definition of "Marijuana'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Marijuana'', all parts of any plant of the genus cannabis, not excepted below and whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; and resin extracted from any part of the plant; and every marijuana product, compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant, its seeds or resin including tetrahydrocannabinol as defined in section 1 of chapter 94C; provided, however, that "marijuana'' shall not include: (i) the mature stalks of the plant, fiber produced from the stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the mature stalks, fiber, oil or cake made from the seeds of the plant or the sterilized seed of the plant that is incapable of germination; (ii) hemp; or (iii) the weight of any other ingredient combined with marijuana to prepare topical or oral administrations, food, drink or other products.
[ Definition of "Marijuana'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 43 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Marijuana'', as defined in section 1 of chapter 94G.
[ Definition of "Medical marijuana establishment'' inserted by 2026, 65, Sec. 43 effective April 19, 2026.]
"Medical marijuana establishment'', a fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center or any other type of licensed medical use of marijuana-related business.
[ Definitions of "Medical marijuana treatment center'', effective until April 19, 2026. Deleted by 2026, 65, Sec. 43.]
"Medical marijuana treatment center'', the premises approved under a medical use marijuana license.
[ Definition of "Medical use marijuana'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Medical use marijuana'', marijuana or marijuana accessories sold by a medical marijuana treatment center to a card holder for medical use or marijuana or marijuana accessories possessed by a qualifying patient under a cultivation registration.
[ Definition of "Medical use marijuana'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 43 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Medical use marijuana'', marijuana or marijuana accessories sold by a medical marijuana establishment to a card holder for medical use, or marijuana or marijuana accessories possessed by a qualifying patient under a cultivation registration.
[ Definitions of "Medical use marijuana license'' and "Medical use marijuana licensee'' effective until April 19, 2026. Deleted by 2026, 65, Sec. 43.]
"Medical use marijuana license'', a license issued by the commission that permits the licensee to operate a medical marijuana treatment center.
"Medical use marijuana licensee'', a person or entity who holds a medical use marijuana license under this chapter.
"Medical use of marijuana'', the acquisition, cultivation, possession, processing, including development of related products such as food, tinctures, aerosols, oils or ointments, transfer, transportation, sale, distribution, dispensing or administration of marijuana for the benefit of registered qualifying patients in the treatment of debilitating medical conditions or the symptoms thereof.
"Personal caregiver'', a person who is at least 21 years old who has registered with the commission and agreed to assist with a qualifying patient's medical use of marijuana, and is not the registered qualifying patient's certifying healthcare provider. Personal caregivers are prohibited from consuming medical use marijuana obtained for the personal, medical use of the registered qualifying patient. An employee of a hospice provider, nursing or medical facility providing care to a qualifying patient may also serve as a personal caregiver.
"Qualifying patient'', a person who has been diagnosed by a registered healthcare professional as having a debilitating medical condition.
[ Definition of ''Registration card'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Registration card'', a personal identification card issued by the commission to a registered qualifying patient, personal caregiver, laboratory agent or agent of a medical marijuana treatment center. The registration card facilitates verification of an individual registrant's status, including, but not limited to, verification that a registered healthcare professional has provided a written certification to the qualifying patient; that the patient has designated the individual as a personal caregiver; that a laboratory agent has been registered with the commission and is authorized to possess and test marijuana; or that an agent has been registered with the commission and is authorized to work at a medical marijuana treatment center. A temporary registration issued to a qualifying patient shall be deemed a registration card.
The registration card shall facilitate identification for the commission and law enforcement of those individuals who are exempt from criminal and civil penalties for conduct pursuant to the medical use of marijuana.
[ Definition of ''Registration card'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 44 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Registration card'', a personal identification card issued by the commission to a registered qualifying patient, personal caregiver, laboratory agent or agent of a medical marijuana establishment. The registration card shall facilitate verification of an individual registrant's status, including, but not limited to, verification that: (i) a registered healthcare professional has provided a written or electronic certification to the qualifying patient; (ii) the patient has designated the individual as a personal caregiver; (iii) a laboratory agent has been registered with the commission and is authorized to possess and test marijuana; or (iv) an agent has been registered with the commission and is authorized to work at a medical marijuana establishment. A temporary registration issued to a qualifying patient shall be deemed a registration card.
The registration card shall facilitate identification for the commission and law enforcement of those individuals who are exempt from criminal and civil penalties for conduct pursuant to the medical use of marijuana.
"Sixty-day supply'', that amount of medical use marijuana that a registered qualifying patient would reasonably be expected to need over a period of 60 calendar days for the qualifying patient's personal medical use, up to 10 ounces of marijuana or as otherwise defined by the commission.
[ Definition of ''Temporary Registration'' effective until April 19, 2026. For text effective April 19, 2026, see below.]
"Temporary Registration'', an interim registration document for patients and their personal caregivers generated automatically upon the commission's receipt of a healthcare professional's electronic certification. The temporary registration document shall constitute a registration card for patients and their personal caregivers to access medical marijuana treatment center. Temporary registration shall expire 14 days after the commission issues the registration card.
[ Definition of ''Temporary registration'' as amended by 2026, 65, Sec. 45 effective April 19, 2026. For text effective until April 19, 2026, see above.]
"Temporary registration'', an interim registration document for patients and their personal caregivers generated automatically upon the commission's receipt of a healthcare professional's electronic certification. The temporary registration document shall constitute a registration card for patients and their personal caregivers to access a medical marijuana establishment. Temporary registration shall expire 14 days after the commission issues the registration card.
"Written certification'', a document signed by a registered healthcare professional, stating that in the professional opinion of the healthcare professional, the potential benefits of the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the health risks for the qualifying patient. Such certification shall be made only in the course of a bona fide healthcare professional-patient relationship and shall specify the qualifying patient's debilitating medical condition.