The Boston Globe —
If you waited until this week to finish your holiday shopping, don’t worry — it’s not too late to get the cannabis lover in your family the perfect gift.
At least two marijuana companies in Mssachusetts are selling gift cards: CommCan, which has a recreational store in Millis and a medical dispensary in Southborough; and Insa, which has recreational marijuana stores in Easthampton and Salem, as well as a medical dispensary in Springfield.
“This was something that we were really excited for,” said Insa CEO Mark Zatyrka. “It’s hard to give the gift of cannabis without knowing what people like or don’t like, so this is a great opportunity for people to be able to give the gift of health and happiness to their loved ones.”
The gift cards, which can be purchased at any of the companies’ stores, can be used to buy any cannabis products or accessories.
Zatyrka said Insa first reached out to the Cannabis Control Commission about launching its gift card program a couple months ago, and regulators gave the OK, as long as the company did not use the gift cards to offer discounted items, which are against state law for adult-use consumers.
Companies do not have to get a specific sign-off from the commission before offering gift cards, according to a commission spokeswoman, and there are no specific state regulations on cannabis gift card use.
“As time goes on,” Zatyrka said, “all of us in the cannabis industry are looking at the typical retail establishment… mirroring what works there and working with the CCC to make sure it’s still compliant.”
Anna Thomas, a spokeswoman for CommCan, said the company began offering gift cards earlier this month, and are offered in $25, $50, or $100 increments.
“We just want the community to have all the options that they need — not only for holiday season, but also in general,” she said.
The Boston Globe – December 23, 2019 By Felicia Gans
Felicia Gans can be reached at felicia.gans@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @FeliciaGans.
