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Addressing the pressing cannabis crisis at Martha’s Vineyard, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) issued an administrative order permitting the first-ever maritime transport of state-legal cannabis. This groundbreaking decision resolves a lawsuit filed by Vicente LLP, representing island dispensaries, enabling them to overcome severe supply shortages that threatened their operation and marking a significant victory for cannabis users and state sovereignty.
Lawsuit Resolves Cannabis Transport Restrictions
Massachusetts’ stringent regulations prohibited the transportation of cannabis products across state territorial waters, a policy that isolated island dispensaries, forcing them to depend solely on local cultivation. This posed substantial challenges, particularly for Martha’s Vineyard, where local cultivator Fine Fettle is set to close due to economic strains, exacerbating the supply shortage amid rising tourist demand.
Under the terms of the new state order, reached through a settlement shortly after Vicente LLP represented local cannabis retail shops Island Time and The Green Lady Dispensary in a lawsuit against the CCC filed on May 21, reverses the state’s stance, allowing shipments strictly within state waters, thereby navigating around federal restrictions. “The first-of-its-kind decision will reinvigorate the marijuana industries on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, opening the door to more jobs and a wider tax base for the hospitality-driven islands,”
