Curaleaf Secures First Marijuana Research License In Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission recently approved the first marijuana research facility license.

Commissioners voted unanimously (4-0) at the agency's monthly public meeting to grant Curaleaf Processing, Inc. a final license to operate a marijuana research facility in Newton. Curaleaf Processing is a subsidiary of one of the largest U.S. cannabis operators Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. CURLF.

In September, the Commission's investigations and enforcement staff inspected the marijuana research facility and found it to be in full compliance with the requirements under state law. Upon receiving administrative approval for any submitted research permit applications, Curaleaf Processing Inc. need to pass a final license inspection prior to being authorized to begin operations and research projects.

"We are excited to move the state's first-ever research facility license forward in the hopes that it will contribute to a safer regulated cannabis industry, rooted in science," stated acting chair Bruce Stebbins. "This licensee has worked diligently over the last two years to bring this facility to the Commonwealth, and we look forward to the work their team will accomplish after their receipt of a research permit."

The licenses are available to any academic institution, nonprofit or domestic corporation or entity authorized to do business in Massachusetts and are interested in either conducting research involving cannabis directly or permitting external researchers with an approved research permit.

A research permit is a certificate from the Commission to conduct a specified research study over a specified and finite period and identifies the type of research study to be performed at the licensed premises of the marijuana research facility.

Read Also: Mold, Lead, E.Coli And Other Deadly Contaminants Found In 90% Of Illegal Cannabis Samples In UK

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One Of Five States

"There is still so much to explore when it comes to cannabis policy – whether we are considering implications for public health and safety, medical uses, or the impacts of prohibition," Commissioner Nurys Camargo said in a statement. "While this licensee may be the first research facility to reach this point in the Commonwealth, it is my hope that others push on through the process and continue expanding our cannabis knowledge."

Commissioner Kimberly Roy, commented, "While serving as the Commission's public health appointee, I have emphasized time and again the critical need for more cannabis research to help Massachusetts residents better understand the potential risks and benefits of cannabis consumption.As one of only fifteen cannabis research licenses of this type granted nationwide, the issuance of this Research Facility is a significant development for both the agency and industry. I am hopeful this is a first step towards Massachusetts someday being positioned as a global leader in cannabis research."

To date, Massachusetts is one of five US states with legal cannabis that offers research licenses, in addition to New York, Connecticut, Washington and Colorado. Only fifteen cannabis research licenses have been granted nationwide, and just ten of them are active.

The news comes on the heels of the Commission's new recommendations in a bulletin designed to improve workplace health and safety at marijuana processing facilities and broadly across the legal industry. The announcement represents the Commission’s formal recognition that ground cannabis dust is a hazardous chemical that can irritate the respiratory exposed skin, which marks a major step toward updating Massachusetts’ workplace safety expectations following the 2022 occupational asthma death of a Holyoke processing facility employee.

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Photo: Courtesy of r.classen via Shutterstock