“It really is a positive change and we’re really hopeful that this means a bright future for cannabis on Martha’s Vineyard.”

By Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon

Cannabis businesses on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket will be able to transport marijuana over state waters starting midnight on Friday, under an administrative order by the Cannabis Control Commission.

Commissioners last week heard concerns from patients, advocates and residents of the islands, about the looming loss of access to safe and legal cannabis on the two islands because cannabis could not be transported to and from the mainland. The situation was presented as being particularly dire for medical marijuana patients.

The commission voted unanimously to pass the administrative order “regarding the transport of marijuana and marijuana products over state territorial waters to and from marijuana establishments and medical marijuana treatment centers in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket.”

“This was turned around in a really quick time frame,” said Commissioner Kimberly Roy. “At the end of the day, this was about public health and public safety and patients and consumers alike having access to safely regulated products.”

The two islands have long been siloed from the mainland cannabis market because the commission has not written regulations on transporting cannabis over water.

The problem stems from the unusual status of marijuana: legal under state law but illegal at the federal level. Transporting cannabis over federal waters could lead to prosecution for operators.

This has forced dispensaries on the Vineyard and Nantucket to source all of their marijuana from cultivators on the islands, an expensive move. And now, the only cultivator on the Vineyard is set to close its operations.

There are currently two dispensaries on Martha’s Vineyard: Island Time and Fine Fettle. Island Time temporarily shut its doors in May and Fine Fettle has said that without the commission’s intervention, they will close by the end of the summer.

The woes sparked a lawsuit against the Cannabis Control Commission, with businesses arguing there are water routes from the mainland to the islands through state territorial waters, rather than federal waters.

Island Time, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, was previously cited by the commission when the owner, Geoff Rose, transported cannabis products to Martha’s Vineyard over state territorial waters. According to the lawsuit, the commission ruled that cannabis products cannot be transported from the mainland to the Vineyard or Nantucket.

With the new administrative order, cannabis businesses will no longer be reliant only on cultivators on the islands but will be able to transport cannabis and cannabis products to the islands using state water routes.

“Today is a great day in providing equity for operators on the islands,” Rose, who plans to reopen his business, said in a phone interview. “I truly appreciate the efforts of the cannabis commission to address this very important issue which has been long overdue for attention. I look forward to continuing to serve patients and consumers with safe and high-quality products.”

Adam Fine, the attorney representing Island Time and the other cannabis business involved in the lawsuit said that the plaintiffs are planning to drop the lawsuit following this administrative order.

Added Chloe Loftfield, Fine Fettle’s general manager: “It really is a positive change and we’re really hopeful that this means a bright future for cannabis on Martha’s Vineyard.”

While the administrative order will provide immediate relief for dispensaries struggling to stock their shelves, the commission will still have to update their regulations to incorporate the change. Commissioner Bruce Stebbins also encouraged the commission to prioritize and expedite the granting of licenses based in Dukes County and Nantucket.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

New Hampshire House Votes To Table Marijuana Legalization Bill That Passed Senate, Potentially Killing Reform For Years To Come

Photo courtesy of Max Pixel.

St. John’s (Shrewsbury) vs. BC High, Saturday, 6 p.m.

Division 2

Plymouth North vs. Walpole, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Division 3

St. Mary’s vs. Oakmont, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Division 4

Pittsfield vs. Seekonk, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Division 5

English High vs. Georgetown, Sunday, 10 a.m.

Softball

Division 1

King Philip vs. Taunton, Sunday, 3 p.m.

Division 2

Westfield vs. Walpole, Saturday, 5 p.m.

Division 3

Hudson vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Division 4

Tyngsborough vs. Joseph Case, Sunday, 12 p.m.

Division 5

Georgetown vs. Turners Falls, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Boys’ lacrosse

Division 1

St. John’s Prep 17, Needham 13

St. John’s Prep wrapped up a fourth straight championship and a 29th straight in-state victory by outdueling Needham in Saturday’s Division 1 state final, sealing senior Jake Vana’s fourth title as a member of the boys’ lacrosse program, and his seventh ring overall counting titles in hockey and soccer.

Read the game story here.

Division 2

Marshfield vs. Longmeadow, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Division 3

Medfield 13, Scituate 4

The Medfield seniors saved their best performance for last: a commanding victory over second-seeded Scituate for the Division 3 boys ‘ lacrosse title at Westwood High. Senior Tim Collins collected three goals and an assist, junior defenseman Ben Lusby had three goals, and senior captain Joe Bartolotta scored twice as the No. 1 Warriors (20-3) captured the program’s eighth title, but first since winning D2 in 2016.

Read the game story here.

Division 4

Sandwich vs. Nantucket, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Girls’ lacrosse

Division 1

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Central Catholic 14, Wellesley 9

Senior Nicolette Licare poured in five goals and junior Kerri Finneran added four to fuel the No. 1 Raiders (24-2) to their first state title in program history. Sophomore goalie Anne Cashman was sharp, and Kierstyn Zinter, Olivia Rondeau, and Abby Yfantopulos were a few of many other contributors.

Read the game story here.

Division 2

Notre Dame (Hingham) 14, Walpole 10

The dynasty rolls on for Notre Dame Hingham girls’ lacrosse, as the top-seeded Cougars battled past second-seeded Walpole, 14-10, to win their third consecutive Division 2 state championship. Senior captains Siobhan Colin and Jane Hilsabeck scored four goals each for the Cougars (22-1) to secure the program’s fifth overall state title since winning Division 1 titles in 2013 and 2019.

Read the game story here.

Division 3

Medfield 14, Newburyport 10

Throughout the season, members of the Medfield girls’ lacrosse team used last year’s Division 3 semifinal loss to Norwell as motivation. They reminded themselves how empty they felt, and they vowed to write a different story this time around. Thursday night, they accomplished that mission, outlasting Newburyport to capture their second Division 3 state championship in three years.

Read the game story here.

Division 4

Cohasset 14, Ipswich 9

Third-seeded Cohasset was sharp in every facet of the game in Thursday’s MIAA Division 4 final, outlasting No. 4 Ipswich at Turco Memorial Field at Walpole High for the program’s third championship. Senior Laney Larsen scored twice in the final game of her high school career. Sophomore Avery Regan tallied a game-high six points (5 goals, 1 assist), and junior captain Libby Schiffmann recorded a hat trick for the Skippers (19-3).

Read the game story here.

Boys’ tennis

Division 1

Concord-Carlisle vs. St. John’s Prep, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Division 2

Duxbury vs. Westborough, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Division 3

Weston 3, Bedford 2

With six-time defending champion Weston tied, 2-2, in its Division 3 boys’ tennis final against Dual County League rival Bedford, the match came down to first singles, Max Ding vs. Dillon Denny-Brown. It was Ding, a senior playing his final match for the Wildcats, who wore down Denny-Brown, a junior, to close out a 3-2 victory as Weston (14-6) earned its seventh consecutive title (5 in D3, 2 in D4), and 13th overall.

Read the game story here.

Division 4

Manchester Essex vs. Lynnfield, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

Girls’ tennis

Division 1

Wellesley vs. Boston Latin, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Division 2

Notre Dame (Hingham) vs. Longmeadow, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Division 3

Pembroke 3, Weston 2

With the final tied 2-2, Pembroke sophomore Nicole Makarewicz edged Olivia Rome at first singles, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, to lift the third-seeded Titans to a 3-2 win over No. 4 Weston for the program’s first title.

Read the game story here.

Division 4

Hamilton-Wenham 5, Lynnfield 0

Junior Naomi Provost and Emma Jani powered the Generals to their third straight Division 4 state championship, sweeping Lynnfield at MIT. Provost (6-0, 6-0) finished first her match first, with Jani (6-0, 6-1) close behind, both in under an hour. The second doubles team of junior Maddie Minich / senior Angelina Meimeteas secured the title with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Senior Ellie Holbrook (6-2, 7-6/7-1) won at third singles and the first doubles pair of senior Sienna Gregory / Emily McIntosh (6-4, 7-5) prevailed in straight sets.

Read the game story here.

Boys’ rugby

Division 1

Xaverian vs. BC High, Saturday, 12 p.m.

Division 2

Hanover vs. Weymouth, Saturday, 4 p.m.

Girls’ rugby

Division 1

Weymouth vs. Belmont, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Boys’ volleyball

Division 1

Newton North 3, Needham 2

Senior Adam Christianson came into the season learning to set for the first time, and he ended the year with a 15-kill, 14-assist, 3-block performance that gave the second-seeded Tigers (22-3) the title in a five-set thriller — 23-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-22, 15-8 — over the top-seeded Rockets (24-3).

Read the game story here.

Division 2

Westfield 3, Wayland 2

Senior Miles Shepard recorded the biggest of his 19 kills to finish the game, finalizing a chaotic comeback in the Division 2 title match — 11-25, 14-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-13 — for top-seeded Westfield (23-3), which captured its fifth title.

Read the game story here.

Emma can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @_EmmaHealy_.

Boston, Massachusetts

As New Englanders, you don’t have to tell us that Boston is a city that will give you plenty of physical activity if you are looking for it.  Whether you are into walking long distances, going to a playground, or playing tennis or basketball, Boston has plenty of places for you and your family to play, so much so that Beantown was named one of the top 12 cities in the nation for recreation.

According to WalletHub, recreation for each city in the country was ranked based on the number of public golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, basketball hoops, baseball and softball diamonds, parks, and playgrounds.

The rankings were also based on how accessible the recreation places were, and how many walking trails, bike trails (lanes), and shopping centers there were.

If you’re looking for an example of a good walk in Boston, check out the Freedom Trail. It’s one of my favorites because it has the most history to explore about the American Revolution.  You are likely to see many joggers and other walkers on this route.  It’s just over three miles, and is pretty easy.

If you are just looking for a scenic route, check out the Neponset River Reservation.  It’s a scenic and easy walk.

Portland, Maine, Was #2 Best City in the Country for Recreation Spots

Boston isn’t the only city that made the list.  Portland, Maine, was ranked even higher, coming in at #2 for recreation.  The whole state of Maine, in my opinion, ought to rank excellently for recreation.  It has the best hiking in the country, but I might be biased.