Press Room

Full Senate to debate the legislation on November 19

(BOSTON—11/13/2025) The Massachusetts Senate Committee on Ways and Means today unanimously advanced legislation that improves the state’s oversight of the maturing cannabis industry by streamlining the state agency that regulates cannabis cultivators, processers, and retailers.

The bill—An Act modernizing the Commonwealth’s cannabis laws, S.2722—reorganizes the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) with a smaller membership as the state approaches eight years of legal cannabis sales. It solidifies the agency’s public accountability with two commissioners appointed by the Governor and one commissioner appointed by the Attorney General. The agency would be led by an executive director appointed directly by the CCC’s chair.

As the cannabis industry matures, the legislation allows retailers to expand their businesses with an increased number of maximum licenses from three to four, as well as an increased threshold for determining ownership as it counts toward the license limit. The bill also removes some of the barriers for licensees to enter the medical marijuana industry by removing a restrictive requirement that medical licensees must simultaneously cultivate, process, and dispense their marijuana.

Responding to the reality that recreational cannabis use has been common practice for more than seven years, the legislation responsibly increases the amount of marijuana that an adult can possess for recreational use from one ounce to two ounces. It also allows inter-state portability for medical marijuana patients’ registration cards.

This legislation is based on several separate bills for which public testimony was solicited at hearings held April 9, and May 7, 2025 by the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. The House passed a version of the bill on June 4, 2025.

After the Committee on Ways and Means voted 16-0 to advance the bill this morning, the Senate voted during its session to schedule the legislation for debate by the full Senate next Wednesday, November 19.

All committee votes are publicly posted on the Legislature’s website. A fact sheet summarizing this legislation is available in the Senate’s press room.

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