# Massachusetts H 5350: An Act modernizing the commonwealth’s cannabis laws Massachusetts H 5350, An Act modernizing the commonwealth’s cannabis laws, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Cannabis Laws; status signed, last action 2026-04-19 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5350-194 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Massachusetts H 5350 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act modernizing the commonwealth’s cannabis laws - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-04-06 - Last action: 2026-04-19, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsor: Cannabis Laws - Cosponsors: 14 - Subjects: House Steering, Policy and Scheduling - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (155 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 11 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Higher limits for possession and sharing: benefit, medium. Adults may possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana. You can give up to 2 ounces to another adult 21+, but you cannot advertise it. Some possession brackets now run from 2 to 3 ounces. The law clarifies what counts as marijuana and excludes hemp, mature stalks, seeds, and seed oil/cake. - Faster access for medical patients: benefit, medium. The Commission runs the medical program and issues cards after a real doctor‑patient certification. Temporary patient registrations count as cards, so patients and caregivers can buy sooner. This shortens the wait between certification and getting a permanent card. - Path to employee ownership: benefit, medium. The Commission can set rules to let employees buy a licensed cannabis business through an ESOP that follows federal ERISA rules. This creates a clear path for worker ownership and business succession. - Priority and exclusivity for equity owners: benefit, medium. A business counts as a social equity business if at least 51% is owned by eligible individuals. The Commission must open applications within 2 months. For 12 months after opening, non‑equity businesses cannot hold more than five retail licenses. For certain medical licenses, social equity businesse… - In-store ads and opt‑in emails: benefit, low. The Commission may allow in‑store ads, discount branding, loyalty programs, and marketing emails to customers who opt in. This helps businesses reach customers while keeping marketing targeted. - Studies on use, taxes, hemp, safety: benefit, low. The Commission must study cannabis use and harms and report by January 1, 2028. It must study excise tax effects and report by January 1, 2028, and study market dynamics and report by July 1, 2028. It must study hemp‑derived cannabinoids and report by December 15, 2026. It must review workplace saf… - Ethics, complaints, and testing standards: benefit, low. The Commission must follow strict ethics rules and ban gifts from licensees. It must run an anonymous complaint portal, and complaint details are not public records. The Commission must review rules and testing every two years, hold a hearing, and post reports in a machine‑readable format. The law… - New caps and audits for licenses: mixed, high. One owner can hold at most 6 retailer licenses, 3 fully integrated medical center licenses, 3 manufacturer licenses, and 3 cultivator licenses. The Commission will also cap the total number of licenses statewide and will publish a model host community agreement and best practices for cities and tow… - Credit and late-pay rules start 2028: mixed, medium. Credit between licensees is limited to 60 days. After 60 days unpaid, the debtor must notify the Commission within 3 days. The Commission can post delinquent licensees, require prepayment, and fine up to $5,000 per violation. These rules take effect January 1, 2028. - Commission finance, staff, and contracts: mixed, low. The Commission operates as a state agency for finance and payroll, and the Comptroller can charge it for system costs. All property, contracts, leases, orders, and cases carry over to the new Commission. Employees keep their jobs and civil service and bargaining rights, subject to funding. The law… - New full‑time cannabis commission: mixed, low. The law creates a full‑time, three‑member Cannabis Control Commission appointed by the governor. One commissioner must have a social justice background; all must be residents within 90 days and pass a background check. Commissioners cannot hold political offices, and no more than two may share a pa… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Cannabis Laws - Cosponsor: Angelo J. Puppolo Jr. (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Chynah Tyler (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Daniel Cahill (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David M. Rogers (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Dawne Shand (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jacob R. Oliveira (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: John C. Velis (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Manny Cruz (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mark J. Cusack (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Meghan K. Kilcoyne (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael J. Soter (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Michael P. Kushmerek (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Samantha Montaño (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Susannah M. Whipps (Independent), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-08 | House | Committee of conference report accepted | pass | 155 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2026-04-19: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-04-09: Laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Enacted -see Roll Call #146 (Yeas 33 to Nays 6) (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Enacted (House) - 2026-04-09: Emergency preamble adopted (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Emergency preamble adopted (House) - 2026-04-09: Committee of conference report accepted, in concurrence (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Committee of conference report accepted - 155 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 151) (House) - 2026-04-08: Rules suspended (House) - 2026-04-06: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting, the question being on acceptance (House) - 2026-04-06: Referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2026-04-06: Reported on H4206 (House) - 2026-04-06: Reported from the committee of conference (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-04-19: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5350.pdf) ## Related bills - H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed) - H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate) - H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house) - H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the town of Sudbury (signed) - H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions (signed) - H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) ## Sources - [Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5350.pdf) ## Related - [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194) - [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194) - [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194) - [H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the t…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4755-194) - [H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H3909-194) - [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [Massachusetts bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts/bills) - [Massachusetts state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5350-194 (as of 2026-11-01).