Reps looking to roll more policy into cannabis bill

The Massachusetts House is changing the way the Bay State regulates cannabis. A bill has just passed at the state house in Boston. It would overhaul the structure of the Cannabis Control Commission and tax hempbased drinks and gummies sold in convenience stores. 22 News State House reporter Olivia Ray has a look at the House bill overhauling cannabis oversight. The House debated major cannabis policy on Wednesday, changing the Bay State's marijuana landscape. The bill looks to reconfigure legal marijuana oversight and restructure the cannabis control commission to be consolidated entirely under the governor. The cannabis control commission, which is often embroiled in controversy and personnel changes, would become a three-member committee appointed by the governor with just one full-time commissioner. As opposed to the current five member commission appointed by the governor, attorney general, and treasurer jointly. The two heftiest pieces of policy would regulate and tax hemp-based drinks and gummies that can now be found in convenience stores and creates a pathway for business owners to open retailon medical marijuana businesses. This bill also includes policy on potency limits, tax revenue for special education, public health research, and advertising restrictions among other policies. The House Speaker says the bill is consistent with his branch's priorities, saying, quote, "It's also representative of the House's commitment to ensuring that the cannabis industry in Massachusetts is regulated in a manner that bolsters economic opportunity, especially for communities that were disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana. The abundance of proposed amendments show the House's commitment to cannabis regulation reform, but the Senate has not yet shown similar interest." The bill passed the House unanimously around 4 p.m.