This month, a group of Massachusetts lawmakers met for the first time to weigh two different approaches to changing the state’s cannabis laws – and the regulatory body that oversees them. WAMC spoke with several conference committee members about some of the biggest potential changes being discussed.
From doubling pot possession limits from 1 to 2 ounces to implementing hemp product regulations to overhauling the Cannabis Control Commission, a lot is on the table as lawmakers like Worcester and Hampshire State Sen. Peter Durant mull a new wave of cannabis reforms.
“The Cannabis Control Commission and the industry as a whole, is evolving here as we come into 2026 and we in the legislature, through our state laws, need to evolve with them,” the Republican and assistant minority leader told WAMC in a phone interview.
A decade after voters passed a ballot initiative legalizing recreational pot, adult-use sales alone have come to total billions of dollars. According to the CCC, that included $1.65 billion last year, with $265 million in state tax revenue generated for fiscal year 2025.
Getting to that point, though, took some time, and included delays imposed by the Legislature. All the while, previous reforms were passed along the way.
Now, though, with a host of logistical issues cropping up, both chambers last year passed their own proposed solutions. These include expanding the cap on how many operating licenses an owner can have – theoretically allowing already-vetted operators to expand while improving an exit ramp for those leaving the market in the face of struggles, like steep drops in cannabis prices.
“The price of cannabis has dropped dramatically - they're having a tough time making ends meet. What that means is they need to sell - some of them want to sell and move on… Durant said. “What we need to do is, in this instance, lift what we call cap on the number of facilities that a licensee can hold.”
“You're seeing some of those proposals come along so that a larger organization can come along, maybe scoop up these facilities,” he added. “They get an economy of scales, which means that their expenses are less, so they can operate a little bit more efficiently and keep the thing going.”
On paper, there isn’t an ocean of difference between the reforms passed by the House and Senate – but key differences remain. In the case of license caps, the House bill allows for the cap to rise from three to six, while the more modest Senate version proposes a rise from three to four.
There’s also the matter of cannabis’s cousin, hemp, which had already been on the radar for conference committee member and Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester State Sen. Jo Comerford.
“I had a bill that would have taken huge steps on hemp and this came, initially, from my interest in farmers who were interested in hemp as a cash crop,” she told WAMC ahead of the committee’s first meeting on Jan. 14. “But then, as I dug in more and did a lot of work last session, it became clear that this industry also needed regulation because of synthetic hemp and intoxicating hemp. So, we'll see how far we get with that in the conference committee.”
The Senate bill calls for a largescale study of how to regulate the “hemp-derived cannabinoid market.”
The House bill goes further, creating an “oversight structure for the importation, manufacture, and sale of two forms of consumable federally legal hemp products,” according to a bill recap filed by the “House Press Room.”
That includes “hemp beverages and consumable CBD products,” allowing them to be sold only if registered with the CCC, tackling what’s been a gray zone some cities have tried tackling on their own in various ways.
There’s also the matter of the Cannabis Control Commission itself – with both bills seemingly reducing the entity’s size, says committee member and Springfield State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez.
“We also need to look at the makeup of the commission,” he told WAMC. “Right now, there's five [commissioners] - do we turn that down to three? Do we make one full-time or not part-time? How does that impact us? How’s the workload going to be?”
Over the years, the CCC has faced criticism over its slow approval processes and rollouts, plus other problems. As of late, the entity that oversees the state’s legal cannabis industry and handles licensing has been working steadily, recently passing on-site consumption rules.
Some of that progress, however, was overshadowed by another controversy that recently wrapped up - the suspension, firing and court-ruled return of CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien.
That case dates back to 2023, when O’Brien was first suspended, then later fired by the state official who appointed her, State Treasurer Deb Goldberg. In late-2025, a judge would order O’Brien’s reinstatement, sharply criticizing the reasoning for her dismissal, which was tied to allegations of insensitive workplace remarks.
No matter which legislative proposal wins out, how CCC members are appointed is bound to be changed in the final bill. As reported by the State House News Service, the House’s proposal not only reduces the number of CCC members from five to three – it also gives appointment power solely to the governor, removing the treasurer and state attorney general from the process.
The Senate version opts for three members as well, keeping the governor and AG, while booting the treasurer.
In a statement to WAMC, CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien said:
“The Cannabis Commission does not comment on pending legislation. However as Chair, regardless of what the new law might change, my job is to stay focused and continue working with my fellow commissioners to ensure we are properly regulating the legal cannabis market to protect public health and safety.”
The special “Cannabis Laws” conference committee held its opening meeting on Jan. 14. The Legislature’s website does not yet specify when the conference committee will meet again.
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This piece originally aired on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
