Big Money First

In one fell swoop, Baker unwittingly put the whole medical marijuana program at risk through House Bill 4284.

H. b. 4284, Section 18 removes clarification for RMDs and priority licensing. The language was specific to RMDs that were “operational and dispensing to qualifying patients”. This bill effectively eliminates those criteria and a provisional certificate is all an RMD would need without ever having served patients. This is subject to lawsuits as this language was clarified through the legislature.

We could see what happened in Arkansas happen in Massachusetts; the entire program freeze including the adult use industry. An RMD could file for a priority license, never having served patients and by then, would not ever have to do so.

The whole point was to provide equal entry to market. This change chooses big money over everyone.

Patients are being pushed out for large scale package stores catering to adult users. Areas disproportionately impacted are pushed out of line getting started in the industry. This will lead people back into the illicit market where Massachusetts will lose revenue and its soul.

**EDIT: Correction to reflect the accurate number of applicants and priority applicant process: 101 PCRs (130 total elidgible applicants) will alternate with equity applicants while having the ability to abandon their medical application that would provide access for registered qualified patients.**