On Thursday, June 13, Cannabis regulators in Massachusetts permitted pot to be transported to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket islands for the first time. Martha’s Vineyard faced a shortage of pot after one dispensary closed and another planned to close. The state commission had not allowed pot transportation to islands due to federal law concerns, despite the fact that Massachusetts legalized marijuana.
During the week of June 3, commissioners heard concerns from patients, advocates and residents of the islands about the looming loss of access to safe and legal cannabis because of the concerns surrounding transportation across U.S. territorial waters. Advocates said that if marijuana was not transported, it could pose major concerns for medical marijuana users.
