A resolution sponsored by Alderman At-Large John M. Connolly’s calls for increasing the state marijuana oversight commission to five members and letting other state departments have seats on the commission.

By Joe Ruvido

The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a resolution recommending that the Massachusetts State Senate delegation increase the marijuana oversight commission from three to five members.mj, but signals the Board’s desire to play a role in the formation of regulations regarding recreational marijuana. Alderman at-large Jack Connolly introduced the resolution to the Board at their most recent meeting.

Massachusetts voters legalized the possession and home growing of marijuana via ballot initiative in November’s election. As it’s written, the law stipulates a 3-member Cannabis Control Commission to be appointed by the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s office. The Commission’s job is to license recreational marijuana facilities in the State. Connolly’s resolution calls for increasing the commission to five members and letting other state departments have seats on the commission, such as the Attorney General’s office or the State Department of Agricultural Resources. “I think it is vital that multiple agencies have a stake in the regulatory process,” said Connolly, who noted that representatives at the state level are looking into similar measures.

Connolly is well aware that Somerville voters approved marijuana legalization by a 4:1 margin in the election. “The public has been very clear on its intentions,” remarked Connolly at the meeting. “We understand what the will of the people is, but we only have one chance to get these regulations right at the beginning.”

Colorado, which legalized medicinal and recreational marijuana before Massachusetts, already has a functioning oversight authority. Licensing and taxation falls under the Colorado department of Revenue, while the Department of Education advises the public on substance abuse prevention and the Department of Public Health is in charge of monitoring the effects of marijuana sales on and consumption by the public. According to Marketwatch, Colorado took in $200 million in tax revenue in 2016 on recreational marijuana sales of more than $1.3 billion.

The trend from the Massachusetts state legislature has been toward delay and more regulation. State Senator Pat Jehlen of Somerville is the chairperson of the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy. Alongside vice Chair Jason Lewis from Winchester, the committee has so far promulgated multiple bills, including those that regulate the potency of edibles and the amount of marijuana one can legally grow at home. The senate voted in December to delay the issuance of licenses for recreational shops until July 2018.

Somerville could have as many as three medical marijuana shops opening this year, but the amount of recreational shops to be licensed in 2018 is yet to be determined.