The Department of Public Health will no longer oversee the marijuana industry in the state
It has only been four days, but so far, so good. This past Sunday, Massachusetts’ Department of Public Health (DPH) turned over the keys to the state’s marijuana program to the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). It would appear that there have been no hiccups in the system due to the change.
The transition was a necessary one and helps to consolidate the state’s marijuana efforts. Previously, the DPH had 22 employees dedicated to the medical marijuana program, but they will now be moved to the CCC, putting all facets of marijuana control under one group. The commission points out that none of the patients, dispensaries or caregivers have indicated that there were any major changes in service due to the switch.
That position was echoed by the executive director of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, Nichole Snow. She said that she has not received any complaints as a result of the move and that everything appears to be working normally.
The transition was a substantial undertaking. It required the move of public records, legal and financial affairs, technology and other aspects of the business. The CCC has indicated that it doesn’t anticipate having to make any immediate changes to the outline of the policies, but that it will look at long-term policies at a later date. Those changes, if any, will be implemented with input from the DPH employees that were brought over to the commission.
