Healey signs bill reforming marijuana business governance, sales in Mass.

Gov. Maura Healey will now appoint all the members of a reformed Cannabis Control Commission. She signed a bill Sunday that included several changes to Massachusetts' marijuana industry and the state agency that oversees it.

As part of the changes signed into law, the commission will shrink from five to three members. Previously, the power to appoint was split between the governor, treasurer and attorney general.

The reforms will also make it easier for both consumers and sellers of recreational marijuana. It increases the amount a person can legally buy in a single transaction and possess in public from one once to two ounces, which is currently more than $200 worth of cannabis.

Recreational dispensaries will now be able to own up to six licenses, which lawmakers say will allow businesses to "spread overhead costs across more stores" to help with record-low prices and dispensary closures. The former three-license cap aimed to protect small businesses and keep large operators from dominating the market.

Medical marijuana businesses will no longer be required to grow their own cannabis, creating "more possibilities for smaller businesses," according to the Legislature's summary of the bill.

“It’s important that we are doing everything we can to make sure this industry is set up for success and that we remain competitive in this fast-growing market," Healey said in a statement. "I’m grateful to the Legislature for their leadership on this critical reform bill.”

Other changes include directing the commission to launch a portal where individuals can anonymously report suspected illegal activity by licensed operators; the creation of a "delinquent" list for cannabis companies that have not paid their debts, preventing them from further business until doing so; taking a closer look at unregulated sales of hemp-infused products and cannabinoids, including THC and CBD.