State marijuana regulators awarded the first recreational cannabis license to a cultivation facility in Milford, a milestone that marks the start of a massive new industry in Massachusetts.
“This is obviously a significant day in the commission’s journey thus far,” said Steve Hoffman, chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission. “It’s the beginning, not the end. This is the first license we’re taking up for deliberation, we expect as we go forward in the next weeks and months each meeting will have additional ones.”
The CCC approved a provisional license application for a cultivation facility owned by Sira Naturals by an unanimous vote. Once finalized, the license allows the company to operate between 10,001 square feet and 20,000 square feet of marijuana cultivation. The final license will be granted once the facility is ready to operate and has been inspected by the CCC.
“We’ve tried to build a strong and professional organization and so it was very gratifying to us to be able to get that very first provisional adult-use license,” said Michael Dundas, chief executive of Sira. “We’re very excited about it and we’re going to work very, very hard.”
Sira also operates dispensaries in Somerville and Cambridge. The company plans to apply for retail licenses when those cities complete their zoning process.
“This is a brand new operation, a brand new program, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I don’t want to speculate about when we may be able to do this,” Dundas said. “I suppose if I had to, I would say somewhere late this winter, early 2019, would our organization be able to start selling recreational cannabis, but that’s only a guess.”
Still, cultivation is just one part of an entire supply chain that needs to be licensed. Yesterday, the CCC said it is reviewing another 58 completed applications, including 18 retail shops. Hoffman said it is still unclear when consumers will be able to walk in a store and buy marijuana, despite a July 1 expectation that retail shops would be open.
“I apologize again for people that had expectations that are likely not going to be met,” Hoffman said. “I really hope people understand we’re trying to do the right thing and we’re really focused on this industry being a long-term success for the state of Massachusetts.”