Commissioners are expected to hammer out delivery and pot bar regulations early next year and finalize them by June, Hoffman told Boston Herald Radio. Businesses can then prepare for the recreational delivery or social consumption licensing process.

“There are going to be multiple streams of activity, all around potential changes to regulations,” Hoffman said. “It’s gonna be, you know, a busy time but that’s nothing new to us.”

The commission — charged with regulating the recreational marijuana businesses — hit the brakes on pot delivery and social consumption guidelines last year after Gov. Charlie Baker expressed public safety concerns about underage access.
Hoffman said the regulations, including public safety protections, will be debated in the open and include public hearings and comments.
“We’re going to listen to the public on this as we have with all of our regulatory development,” he said.

Delivery services and potential pot bars will likely be limited before the commission allows for statewide licenses, however.

“The best way forward for both delivery and social consumption is some kind of controlled pilot where we could implement, learn, see if it’s working, adjust before we implement it on a wide-scale basis,” Hoffman said.

Marijuana cafes or licenses in movie theaters could be limited to edibles or vaping at first due to strict smoking regulations in the Bay State. Officials also must decide if businesses offering delivery services would need a brick-and-mortar store, as well as determine whether residents who live in communities that ban marijuana can receive deliveries.
“Home delivery is a complicated topic,” Hoffman said.

The commission will unveil a formal timeline for creating delivery and social consumption guidelines at their next meeting Jan. 10, Hoffman said. They’ll also work on updates to recreational marijuana and medical marijuana guidelines.The commission began overseeing the medical marijuana industry on Sunday.