Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 94g - Regulation of the Use and Distribution of Marijuana Not Medically Prescribed
Section 5 - Licensing of Marijuana Establishments

[See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated March 23, 2020, (2019 MA EO H20-8) related to the COVID-19 State of Emergency, for potential impact on the terms of this section.]
Section 5. Licensing of marijuana establishments
(a) Upon receipt of a complete marijuana establishment license application and the application fee, the commission shall forward a copy of the application to the city or town in which the marijuana establishment is to be located, determine whether the applicant and the premises qualify for the license and has complied with this chapter and shall, within 90 days:
(1) issue the appropriate license; or
(2) send to the applicant a notice of rejection setting forth specific reasons why the commission did not approve the license application.
(b) The commission shall approve a marijuana establishment license application and issue a license if:
(1) the prospective marijuana establishment has submitted an application in compliance with regulations made by the commission, the applicant satisfies the requirements established by the commission, the applicant is in compliance with this chapter and the regulations made by the commission and the applicant has paid the required fee;
(2) the commission is not notified by the city or town in which the proposed marijuana establishment will be located that the proposed marijuana establishment is not in compliance with an ordinance or by-law consistent with section 3 of this chapter and in effect at the time of application;
(3) the property where the proposed marijuana establishment is to be located, at the time the license application is received by the commission, is not located within 500 feet of a pre-existing public or private school providing education in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12, unless a city or town adopts an ordinance or by-law that reduces the distance requirement; and
(4) an individual who will be a controlling person of the proposed marijuana establishment has not been convicted of a felony or convicted of an offense in another state that would be a felony in the commonwealth, except a prior conviction solely for a marijuana offense or solely for a violation of section 34 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, unless the offense involved distribution of a controlled substance, including marijuana, to a minor.

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