Smith, Costello & Crawford: Expert Media Sources and Thought Leaders

Recent coverage of Massachusetts marijuana licensing, regulation and industry potential:

• The Supreme Judicial Court urged the Legislature to update the state’s marijuana law to provide “much-needed clarity” on issues surrounding the agreements between marijuana shops and their host communities. SJC urges Legislature to update marijuana laws (Jul. 30, 2021)
• Eastern Bank plans to continue Century Bank’s marijuana-banking business once it acquires its competitor later in 2021. Eastern excited to take over Century Bank’s cannabis business (Apr. 8, 2021)
• Law360 discussed the Supreme Judicial Court’s upcoming decision over local regulatory authority over cannabis licenses. Pot Attys Hope Mass. Top Court Curbs Local Regulatory Clout (Feb. 8, 2021)
• Commonwealth Magazine spoke with Jim Smith to discuss the details of the Supreme Judicial Court’s upcoming case that will determine whether state or local officials should have greater discretion when granting cannabis licenses. SJC takes up local control of marijuana licensing (Jan. 21, 2021)
• Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly released their Top Women of Law for 2020, and Smith, Costello & Crawford’s own Jen Crawford was selected as a Circle of Excellence honoree. Top Women of Law 2020 (Nov. 16, 2020)
• Boston Magazine reported a list of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston Right Now, recognizing Jim Smith at Number 26. Who Will Lead the Way? (April 28, 2020)
• The Boston Business Journal reported on Jim Smith’s success in gaining zoning approval in East Boston for Smith, Costello & Crawford’s client, East Boston Bloom, following controversy over buffer restrictions. City approves marijuana shop in East Boston despite zoning discrepancy (Sept. 17, 2019)
• With a growing chorus of concern about the lack of social equity in the Massachusetts marijuana industry, Jim Smith, in an op-ed in CommonWealth magazine, outlines a plan to secure a significant pool of funding for “empowerment” entrepreneurs. A 1% solution to promote cannabis diversity (Feb. 12, 2019)
• With many towns’ moratoriums allowing cannabis businesses expiring at the beginning of the year, their road forward has been slow and unclear for cannabis business operators. Jim Smith weighs in on the confusion in a MassLive story: official moratoriums have be replaced with processes that are  “incredibly cumbersome and time consuming.” As marijuana moratoriums expire, Massachusetts businesses still struggle with town rules (Feb. 7, 2019)
• As taxes from adult-use sales begin to roll in, NBC Boston explores in this segment just how much and where it’s going. Jim Smith makes some key points about new revenue, predicting many cities and towns eventually will ask, “Why not me?” Marijuana Shops Could Top $80M in Tax Revenue this Year (Dec. 7, 2018)
• The lack of banking options remains a severe hindrance for the expansion of the cannabis industry, the topic of this segment on WBUR that included Jim Smith. The Uncertain Future Of Marijuana Banking And Financing In Mass. (Nov. 27, 2018)
• What’s the root cause of the Massachusetts marijuana bottleneck that has yielded only two adult-use retail outlets currently open for business? Jim Smith explains the government generation gap that is holding back permitting on the local level in this op-ed in CommonWealth magazine. Pot legalization exposes generation gap in local government (Nov. 18, 2018)
• With news just breaking that the first two adult-use cannabis retail stores will soon open their doors, Jim Smith is quoted in the Boston Business Journal about the frenzy (and supply shortages) that likely will ensue. Recreational marijuana sales will begin in Mass. on Tuesday (Nov. 16, 2018)
• Speaking with NECN’s Brian Burnell, Jim Smith provided an update on the progress of the licensing and permitting process for adult-use cannabis on “This Week in Business”: A Massachusetts Pot Progress Report (Oct. 28, 2018)
• Jim Smith weighed in on the realities of town permitting, especially Host Community Agreements, speaking on a North Shore business panel, as reported in the Boston Business Journal: Marijuana industry experts address burning issues over recreational market at Salem event (Oct. 12, 2018)
• Jim Smith frames the true potential of the Massachusetts cannabis industry, despite its early obstacles, in this Boston Business Journal op-ed:  Viewpoint: Mass. cannabis industry is for real, in due time (Aug. 23, 2018)
• Jim Smith and Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics, talk about the state of the Massachusetts marijuana industry on New England Cable News’ “The Take”: What’s holding up sales of recreational marijuana in Mass.? (Aug. 15, 2018)
• Jim Smith joins a discussion on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” to discuss the challenges involved with the next stage of the Commonwealth’s emerging cannabis industry: Lags In Massachusetts’ Legal Marijuana Industry Hinder Those Looking To Benefit (Aug. 14, 2018)
• Jim Smith and Commissioner Jennifer Flanagan of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission talked all things marijuana on CommonWealth magazine’s “Codcast” following the arrival of the July 1 “deadline” for retail sales of cannabis without an outlet yet open: The Marijuana Blame Game (July 2, 2018)
• Jim Smith is featured in a Boston Business Journal cover story on the business-to-business potential of the budding Massachusetts marijuana industry: It tokes a village: The Mass. marijuana industry fuels growth across industries (June 28, 2018)
• See Jim Smith’s op-ed in the Boston Globe on the million-dollar question cities and towns face in deciding to permit adult-use marijuana and how unfounded fears are slowing the rollout of the industry:  Cities and towns face a million-dollar cannabis question (June 19, 2018)
• Jim Smith talks with New England Cable News’ Brian Burnell on This Week In Business about the current state of the Massachusetts cannabis industry and the many complexities involved with adult-use retail permitting. (June 24, 2018)
• Read Jim Smith’s insightful op-ed in CommonWealth Magazine on the “obstacle course” marijuana businesses face in gaining local approvals to operate: Too many municipal marijuana bottlenecks (April 14, 2018)
• Jim Smith weighs in on the business sense of dual medical/retail models for the new era of Massachusetts legalization: Massachusetts medical marijuana facilities that never opened now want priority to sell recreational marijuana (April 17, 2018) 
• Jim Smith points out the many local regulatory hurdles facing marijuana businesses in this Boston Business Journal story: If you’re hoping to buy recreational pot this summer, you might be disappointed (April 2, 2018)
• Jim Smith is quoted in this MassLive story about the lack of standard banking options and the ensuing security challenges for the budding marijuana industry: Cash-heavy marijuana industry faces banking, security challenges (March 22, 2018)