As I See It, ... 

By Britte McBride

From www.telegram.com, the web site of the Worcester Telegram

Much has been made about a proposal pending before the Cannabis Control 
Commission to allow marijuana home deliveries in Massachusetts. If the 
concept makes you pause, you are not alone. Among 54 percent of voters 
who voted for legalization in 2016, there’s a subset who could imagine 
stores selling cannabis, but are nervous about it arriving at one’s 
doorstep. There may be concerns about safety. Maybe it’s the fear of 
diversion to children. Maybe it’s NIMBY-ism: a store operating one town 
over is different than a delivery van arriving next door. For those who 
voted against legalization but begrudgingly accept stores opening, delivery 
may seem too much, too fast.

I believe there is a place for home delivery in our regulated system if 
we include guardrails that treat it like storefront retail. That includes 
identification checks when customers make an order and when the delivery 
is made to prevent underage sales. Another is the use of body cameras 
for employees to deter robberies and provide evidence when they occur 
(see: California and Nevada). Crime risks must factor into any safely 
regulated system that functions well, not just for employees and customers, 
but also for the public at large. Of course, privacy is important, and 
it is reasonable to limit how video is used.

If conflicting concerns exist, why allow delivery now? The reality is you 
can receive marijuana at your front door in Massachusetts today. Six 
medical marijuana dispensaries already offer delivery to patients, and 
some use body cameras voluntarily. At least one reportedly made over 
2000 deliveries in 2018 without any reported incident.

More compelling, however, is this truth: illicit dealers are happy to 
serve your neighbor or students living in off-campus apartments right 
now. How prevalent is it? Check Yelp. Alongside recommendations for 
restaurants, you’ll find reviews of legal medical marijuana delivery 
and illegal adult-use delivery services. Look at the federal charges 
against a delivery operation in Milton last April. A multimillion-dollar 
business allegedly netted $80,000 monthly for a proprietor who paid no 
taxes on deliveries to people’s mailboxes by multiple employees.

Marijuana is here and it’s not going away. Illegal delivery services 
openly compete against licensed, regulated, taxpaying businesses and 
that demands action. The state should authorize monetary sanctions 
against unlicensed, unregulated actors as is done in other contexts. 
The legislation to do that is pending, but alone, it is not enough.

Given the public’s preference for convenient service, regulated 
marijuana without delivery may miss the forest for the trees. It is 
clear the desire for expedient access will be filled, and there are 
benefits to the state meeting the demand with a product tested for 
safety, taxed for revenue, and monitored to prevent youth access.

Legalized delivery also offers opportunities to those struggling to 
enter a regulated marketplace with high start-up costs and limited or 
no access to capital because of marijuana’s federally illegal status. 
Some individuals are working to transition from the illicit market 
to the legal industry and the Commission’s Social Equity Program is 
aimed at lowering barriers that exist. We know a regulated delivery 
system is not the solitary solution to equity in the industry, but 
it’s an important step we can take now.

We may never eliminate the illicit market completely while marijuana 
remains federally illegal. Those who are under 21 may still seek out 
marijuana – just like alcohol – and bad actors will cater to that demand. 
But by adding delivery to Massachusetts’ regulatory scheme, with 
thoughtful safeguards out of the gates, we may fulfill one of the 
mandates of legalization and start to make a dent in those concerns.

(Britte McBride is commissioner of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission)