Massachusetts cannabis retailers have vowed a fight over controversial new marijuana delivery rules that regulators are expected to pass on Monday, which prioritize minority applicants and would enable courier companies to buy and sell marijuana wholesale without a brick-and-mortar business.
“We’re not holding breath — it’s a done deal. Tomorrow is a mere formality at this point,” said David Torrisi, president of the Commonwealth Dispensary Association. “But we’ll be looking at legislative and legal action. Our fight does not end tomorrow.”
The Cannabis Control Commission on Monday is set to vote on a set of draft regulations for recreational marijuana that include two license categories for delivery. The regulations will be a first for recreational pot, but delivery is already allowed for medical cannabis.
A limited-delivery license allows a business to function as a courier service, similar to third-party food delivery apps like Uber Eats. The wholesale delivery license — which some dispensaries take issue with — would allow businesses to purchase directly from cultivators and wholesalers and sell directly to consumers through deliveries out of a warehouse.
Torrisi, who represents 50 cannabis license holders including retailers for recreational marijuana, argues the draft regulations amount to a “radical policy change” tantamount to creating an…