The Cannabist Network

Recent posts by The Cannabist Network

Gov. Maura Healey looks to pardon misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions

Gov. Maura Healey asked a group of elected officials to approve a plan that would pardon misdemeanor cannabis possession convictions, a move she said could impact hundreds of thousands of people.

Ex-Massachusetts lawyer accused of trying to bribe Medford police chief for pot shop sentenced to prison

A former Massachusetts lawyer who was accused of trying to bribe the Medford police chief to get city approval for a pot shop has been sentenced to prison.

A timeline of what’s happened since Colorado’s first legal recreational marijuana sales began

It’s been 10 years since Colorado launched the first legal recreational marijuana market in the world and became a pioneer in drug reform.

The first 10 years of legal marijuana in Colorado were a wild ride. What will happen in the next decade?

It’s been 10 years since Colorado hosted the world’s first legal sales of recreational marijuana. The success of Colorado’s tightly regulated system has helped reshape the public’s perception of cannabis, but the industry faces headwinds in its second decade.

Brookline teenager who had ‘magic mushrooms’ jumped from 6th-story window: Police

A Brookline teen was severely injured after he had “magic mushrooms” and jumped from a sixth-story window, according to police who arrested a drug dealer accused of targeting local kids.

Burglaries at over 40 Denver-area marijuana dispensaries lead to charges for members of two organized crime groups

About $780,000 of cash and property were stolen, and the members of two organized crime groups also now face charges of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.

After Massachusetts cannabis worker died from asthma attack, state pushes marijuana industry to take extra safety steps

After a Massachusetts cannabis worker suffered an asthma attack and died, the state Department of Public Health is pushing the local marijuana industry to take extra safety steps to prevent work-related asthma.

14-year-old boy accused of stealing 30 marijuana products from South Boston pot shop, smashing the front door

A 14-year-old boy is accused of stealing more than $1,500 in marijuana products from a South Boston pot shop early Monday morning after he allegedly smashed the store’s front door with a large rock, police said.

Four minority-owned marijuana manufacturers join forces under one roof

“I’d have to work four jobs to really make it happen any other way. It’s my little hobby and now I can take my dream to market.”

Up in smoke: Cannabis Commission to meet without suspended chairwoman

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Deb Goldberg temporarily removed pot boss Shannon O’Brien from her post just a year after the former gubernatorial candidate took the job steering marijuana policy for the state.

Pot boss O’Brien apologizes as Massachusetts weed sales hit all-time high

Cannabis board boss Shannon O’Brien is apologizing for her recent outburst saying she was too blunt in saying the state’s legal weed rollout was in a “crisis.” It came on the same day the commission announced the Bay State has hit a new one-month high in legal weed sales — $136 million in July.

Marijuana emergency department visits for children, teens have spiked since the pandemic started: CDC

Marijuana emergency department visits for children, teens and young adults have spiked since the start of the pandemic more than three years ago, according to new data from the CDC.

Massachusetts pot shops closing in Worcester, Framingham, Northampton; a worker had died after packaging cannabis into pre-rolls

Trulieve Cannabis Corp. recently announced that the marijuana giant will be winding down its operations in Massachusetts. The company’s dispensaries in Worcester, Framingham, and Northampton will close at the end of June.

Colorado’s cannabis industry has fallen on hard times. What does the future hold?

The heyday of marijuana sales in Colorado — back in 2020 when recreational and medical sales topped out at a combined $226 million — is a distant memory, as the state’s dispensaries struggle through an economic downturn, with sales plummeting and small businesses foundering.

New Denver weed lounge aims to reinvent nightlife with tableside bong service

The aesthetic and amenities will be specifically curated to attract women and gay individuals, as well as the canna-curious looking for a comfortable environment where they can try some of Colorado’s locally grown herb.

Nearly a decade after recreational cannabis sales began in Colorado, Golden takes its first rip

Golden expects to collect $600,000 in marijuana excise tax revenue in 2024, the first year it will have all four shops open and selling.

Colorado’s first licensed cannabis-consumption bus rolls out this week

Colorado’s first legal cannabis party bus is preparing to roll up and roll out on the streets of Denver, offering shuttle services to and from Denver International Airport as well as curated tours throughout the Mile High City.

Massachusetts lawmakers file legislation to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms, other plants

Massachusetts lawmakers have filed bills to end arrests for psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, mescaline and ibogaine. This push for decriminalization at the state level comes after cities decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms and other entheogenic plants.

Massachusetts adds marijuana education to driving school, the first recreational cannabis state to adopt curriculum

Massachusetts is the first recreational-use cannabis state to adopt, “Shifting Gears: the Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving,” a AAA curriculum that educates teens about the risks of cannabis-impaired driving.

Weedology 101: College cannabis classes spring up across Massachusetts

“As a growing industry in Massachusetts, obviously, after legalization, the demand for jobs and highly qualified people skyrocketed — that what we were hearing from folks in the community businesses,” said Northern Essex Community College spokesperson Melissa Bouse.