“Ganjapreneurs” in Massachusetts can now apply to open a recreational cannabis business. Regulators in Massachusetts started inviting applicants to begin the application process for cultivating and selling social cannabis at noon on Monday, April 2.

Only select cannabis entrepreneurs in Massachusetts can apply

At the current time, business who have been given “priority certification” are able to submit an application. This category includes medical cannabis dispensaries that have already undergone the permitting process.

Also included in the category are “economic empowerment” applicants.

These applicants already possess previous experience in promoting economic empowerment or in running business practices that do so through working with communities that have high drug arrest rates.

Numerous dispensaries have already shown interest in providing a service to medical and recreational cannabis users.

“We’ve got our incorporating documents, financial statements, operating agreements ready to go,” said Norton Arbelaez, director of government affairs for New England Treatment Access.

Only applicants included in this group will be allowed to apply until the state broadens its application criteria to small businesses, such as independently-owned testing labs and craft cannabis operators.

By June, cannabis retailers and transporters in Massachusetts will be able to apply.

What to expect from the adult-use cannabis market in Massachusetts

In just under three months, Massachusetts will start selling cannabis for adult-use, making it the first market to do so on the East Coast. Since the state is home to almost 7 million people, the market will be the third-biggest in the US.

So far, 22 medical cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts have opened for sale to serve more than 47,000 patients.

The number of dispensaries in “The Bay State” is expected to increase immensely, with state officials declaring on Tuesday, April 3 how almost 200 prospective operators have shown an interest in launching a recreational cannabis company in Massachusetts.

Since the online licensing system was launched on Monday, April 2, a total of 23 companies and entrepreneurs have applied for expedited licensing, with an additional 167 in the process of doing so.

This indicates a very promising outcome in the lead-up to commercial cannabis sales this July.

Recreational cannabis will be subject to a total state tax of 17 percent. An extra 3 percent may be imposed by certain municipalities.

However, registered medical cannabis patients will not be slammed with tax on their purchases quite like recreational cannabis buyers will.

Delivery licenses will not be implemented until early next year, based on a decision made by the Cannabis Control Commission. Despite this, medical dispensaries will be allowed to deliver medicinal cannabis to patients.

State residents will be able to possess a maximum of one ounce on their person in public. A total of 10 ounces can be kept at home and anything contained inside a vehicle must be concealed out of view.