Massachusetts

Smokescreen: Mass. Lacks Transparency in Money Cannabis Firms Pay to Cities and Towns

Cannabis dispensaries are required to submit data on how much they pay under their contracts with the city or town

Published May 13, 2021 • Updated on May 13, 2021 at 11:38 am

How much money have Massachusetts cities and towns collected from marijuana sales? Where has the money been spent?

No one is quite sure.

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Cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts are required to submit data, as part of the state’s license-renewal process, on how much they pay under their contracts with the city or town in which they are located, called host community agreements. Meanwhile, municipalities are required to report where the money they collect under those agreements is being spent.