The state’s first cannabis research facility is one step closer to opening in Newton.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has approved a license for Curaleaf Processing Inc., for a facility located at 241 Riverview Ave. in Auburndale.
“There is still so much to explore when it comes to cannabis policy—whether we are considering implications for public health and safety, medical uses, or the impacts of prohibition,” Commissioner Nurys Camargo said in a statement Monday. “While this licensee may be the first Research Facility to reach this point in the Commonwealth, it is my hope that others push on through the process and continue expanding our cannabis knowledge.”
The facility will have no retail sales and will be located in a manufacturing area of Auburndale near the Charles River. Curaleaf has been in talks with the city about its plans for a couple of years.
The facility passed a CCC inspection in September, and Curaleaf will have to have another inspection before beginning operations.
“As long as marijuana remains a Schedule I substance, it is important that states like ours continue to innovate and pursue opportunities for research despite the barriers that may exist,” Commissioner Ava Callender Concepcion said. “I’m thrilled to see this licensee moving forward, and we are excited for the day when we can announce that their research efforts have officially begun.”
The cannabis research facility license was created in 2018—two years after voters legalized cannabis for recreational use in Massachusetts—so that scientists could study the drug in Massachusetts and the state could lead the way on groundbreaking discoveries with cannabis.
Any academic institution, nonprofit corporation or domestic corporation or entity can apply for the permit to conduct research involving cannabis. The permits are very specific regarding timeframe of research and type of research being conducted.