Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steve Hoffman has said that he expects the state’s first recreational marijuana dispensaries to open in “late summer to early fall.”
He told reporters this week, “There’s definitely light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Cannabis Control Commission has already issued four more provisional retail licenses Thursday, bringing the total number now to 15.
The total number of provisional licenses issued to companies hoping to get into the recreational marijuana industry is now at a total of 38. These licenses consist of retail, cultivation, and product manufacturing.
“I always said we’re not putting a precise date on it. We’re going to do it right,” Hoffman explained.
“I’ve been saying my expectation is late summer-early fall, so I think early fall does include the fourth quarter of 2018,” he said.
Previously Massachusetts was waiting for July 1st as the day retail pot shops would open their doors but that never happened.
“It’s not that we have that date and are refusing to give it,” remarked CCC Commissioner Shaleen Title this week. “As you can see from this presentation, there are many steps where they’re out of our control. We can’t predict it. But what we can do is make a commitment for steps that are under our control for how long it will take.”
“We’re getting closer and closer, and we’re doing it the right way,” said Hoffman. “I will not apologize for the behavior of the commission. I will say I’m sorry for people that had expectations that were not met.”