PATIENTS VS. PROFITS: MEDICAL CANNABIS CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT RECREATIONAL ROLLOUT

“According to the registered qualifying patient advisor to the CCC, Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA) advocate Michael Latulippe, the state does not regularly keep track of the amount of product dispensaries are producing versus the ounces that they sell. Latulippe explained, “The Department of Public Health currently only collects data on the amount of ounces that are sold to patients and does not regularly audit the cultivation centers on what they are actually producing.”

In other words, the department does not regularly keep track of how much the dispensaries are producing in their cultivation centers versus how many ounces are sold to patients. Without these data points, the CCC will have no idea what stock exists when adult use sales begin in July. This could imperil the patient supply. Michael Latulippe continued:

“We at the MPAA are advocating to see temporary safeguards put in place on the medical marijuana patient supply so that patients do not run out of their supply when adult consumers begin purchasing from co-located facilities in July. These temporary safeguards would only be put in place by the commission at times the amount of supply could not meet demand such as in July of this year when adult use sales begin.””