Martha's Vineyard Cannabis Crisis Averted: MA Regulators Approve Shipping Weed Through State Territorial Waters

Massachusetts regulators have approved an administrative order allowing cannabis transportation to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, ensuring the islands’ dispensaries can continue to operate. This decision comes at a crucial time as the summer influx of tourists would have exacerbated the cannabis shortage.

State Order Bypasses Federal Restrictions

In May, Massachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) barred the transportation of cannabis to the islands, citing potential conflicts with federal regulations which govern transit over non-state waters. However, according to the Associated Press, the new administrative order specifies that shipments must strictly navigate within state territorial waters, sidestepping federal jurisdictions.

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Island Dispensaries Navigate Supply, Legal Challenges

Island Time dispensary had been at the forefront of addressing the supply crisis, even initiating a lawsuit against the CCC after being forced to close due to depleted stock. Similarly, Fine Fettle, the island’s sole cannabis cultivator, had announced its closure by September. Fine Fettle cited economic infeasibility as the reason for shutting down its small grow operation, which had been the island's primary supply source.

Island Time's owner, Geoff Rose, was buoyant about the recent regulatory changes, expressing his relief and looking forward to the future. “I can't wait to reopen. My staff is excited. It's all good,” Rose said. With the lawsuit set to be withdrawn as soon as the dispensary’s delivery boat passes inspection, scheduled for Friday, Rose says he’s optimistic about resuming operations by next week.

Regulators Address Cannabis Access Concerns

Commission members visited Martha's Vineyard on Thursday last week to gather input from residents. There are over 230 registered medical cannabis users on the island, with the total population quintupling from 20,000 to around 100,000 during the summer tourist season, heightening demand significantly. Ava Callender Concepcion, acting chairperson of the commission, shared her concerns on Thursday. “You never want to be putting consumers and patients in a place where they don't have access to medicine.”

Echoing her sentiment, another commission member stressed the broader implications of the decision in a statement to NBC 10 News: “We don’t want anyone to have to turn to the illicit market where you don’t know what you’re getting. So this is a victory not only for patients and consumers, but public health and public safety.”

Read also: Descheduling Cannabis: Medical Experts Push for Policy Reform

Photo by Aubrey Odom on Unsplash.