This bill sets a regulatory framework for the sale of hemp products. Under the bill, the Cannabis Control Commission establishes standards for their sale, manufacture, packaging, and transportation. Marijuana establishments may only sell hemp products that were cultivated and manufactured by a licensed producer in compliance with federal regulations. The bill prohibits sale of non-ingestible hemp items that resemble food or candy or that include labels indicating it may be intoxicating. It gives local boards of health the authority to investigate violations and enforce penalties, such as removing and destroying non-compliant products, issuing warnings, and revoking permits or licenses as necessary.

The bill also imposes a 10.75% sales fee on hemp products, which will be allocated for the first five years of the bill to a Hemp Product Education Fund established by the bill. Funds will be used for the implementation, administration, and enforcement of hemp laws by local boards of health.  

Authorizes any licensee, or any person or entity with direct or indirect control of a licensee, to obtain direct or indirect control of up to four additional marijuana retailer or medical marijuana treatment center licenses when those licenses are majority owned by a social equity business, economic empowerment business, or an MBE, WBE, or VBE with valid Supplier Diversity Office certification as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, provided the controlling person or entity holds no more than a 35% ownership interest.

Defines "Owner" as any person or entity with a 10% or more interest in a licensee. Clarifies "Person or Entity Having Direct Control" to include owners; persons with at least a 10% voting interest; close associates; those with contractual authority to appoint a majority of directors, to appoint or remove corporate-level officers, or to receive at least 10% of profits or more than 10% of dividends; court appointees or assignees under general assignments or assignments for the benefit of creditors; and third-party technology platform providers with any financial interest in a marijuana delivery licensee. Clarifies "Person or Entity Having Indirect Control" to include those with direct control over a parent or holding company and their Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, and anyone positioned to indirectly control a marijuana establishment's decision-making.

Establishes a year-round Healthy Incentives Program, operated by the Department of Transitional Assistance in partnership with the Departments of Agricultural Resources and Public Health, under which SNAP purchases of fruits and vegetables-fresh, canned, dried, or frozen-at participating vendors trigger a matching benefit credited to the recipient's EBT card within departmental limits; prioritizes vendor expansion in areas with limited access to fresh, local produce and historically underserved communities, and requires collaboration with local food coalitions and nonprofits for equitable outreach.

Creates the Healthy Incentives Fund, administered by the Commissioner of Transitional Assistance, to receive appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, federal reimbursements, and other receipts, and authorizes applications to federal nutrition incentive programs, including the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, with proceeds deposited into the Fund.

Requires annual reporting on households served (including size, age, and racial demographics), transactions, vendors (including names), municipal distribution of participants and vendors, vendor applications denied for funding or administrative reasons, plans and metrics to address underserved areas, and recommendations, and directs the Department of Transitional Assistance to promulgate implementing regulations.

Establishes statewide minimum standards for private wells and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to set drinking water quality standards specifying contaminants, acceptable levels, and testing frequency. Mandates testing for all listed contaminants for new wells before service and for all private wells before residential property transfer, and authorizes local Boards of Health to enforce and adopt stricter standards.

Requires inspection of a private well at or within two years before transfer of title to the private well facility and delivery of the inspection report to the buyer, exempts transactions including mortgages, refinancings, intra-family ownership changes, and fiduciary appointments, and specifies that noncompliance does not invalidate a transfer. Expands homeowner assistance by authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to set requirements for loan guarantees and interest subsidies and to subcontract administration for eligible private-well remediation projects determined by a Board of Health or the Department, including treatment to meet public drinking water standards or remediation of septic systems out of compliance with state septic regulations.

Overhauls the Cannabis Control Commission by reconstituting it as a three-member body appointed by the Governor, terminating current commissioners' terms, authorizing limits on the total number of licenses, creating an anonymous complaint portal, and resetting ownership caps to no more than 6 retailer, 3 cultivator, 3 product manufacturer, and 3 fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center licenses per licensee, with phased retail increases, procedures to facilitate ESOPs, limited exceptions for trustees and minority equity, and a mandated compliance audit.

Establishes a comprehensive regime for hemp beverages and consumable CBD products requiring product registration; manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer endorsements or certificates of compliance; off-the-shelf testing; container and labeling standards; natural-cannabinoid and testing requirements; and the use of transportable hemp concentrate; ties hemp beverage distribution to Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission alcohol licenses; bans mail and other remote retail; sets a 21+ age floor for hemp beverages; and imposes a $4.05-per-gallon excise on hemp beverages while exempt from sales tax and a 5.35% retail tax on consumable CBD products in addition to sales tax.

Regulates topical hemp products and restricts sales of cannabinoid-containing products to enumerated categories, authorizing Boards of Health to investigate, seize and destroy violative goods, assess civil fines for repeat violations, and notify other licensing authorities for potential permit actions. Modernizes medical and criminal frameworks by replacing "medical marijuana treatment center" with "medical marijuana establishment" (including fully integrated centers), permitting new medical license classes and limits, reserving most medical licenses to social equity businesses for 36 months, raising adult possession and gifting limits to a 2-ounce equivalency with aligned penalty tiers, revising the legal definitions of marijuana and hemp to exclude topical hemp, hemp beverages, and consumable CBD products, and establishing 60-day credit terms among licensees with a delinquency list and cash-on-delivery requirements for posted debtors.

Restructures the Cannabis Control Commission as a three-member body appointed by the Governor, with a full-time Chair, part-time commissioners, strict ethics and ex parte limits, and an Executive Director vested with independent investigative and enforcement authority, and terminates current commissioners' terms on the act's effective date.

Overhauls hemp-derived product regulation by legalizing tightly controlled hemp beverages and consumable CBD products subject to Commission product registration, manufacturer/wholesaler/retailer endorsements or certificates of compliance, independent testing, labeling and packaging rules, container and THC limits, and adult-only, in-store sales through off-premises alcohol licensees for hemp beverages and licensed retailers for CBD; bans online and mail-order sales, authorizes Local Boards of Health to seize and destroy violative products, and prohibits unregulated cannabinoid products except in specified categories; imposes a $4.05-per-gallon excise on hemp beverages and a 5.35% retail tax on consumable CBD in addition to sales tax.

Amends the cannabis market by raising the ownership cap to six retail licenses while retaining three each for cultivation, product manufacturing, and fully integrated medical treatment centers; authorizes the Commission to limit the total number of licenses; creates 60-day trade-credit rules with a delinquency posting system; establishes an anonymous complaint portal; and directs model host community agreements and standards to advance social equity.

Increases adult personal possession and gifting limits to the dry-weight equivalent of two ounces; modernizes definitions across marijuana, hemp, and cannabinoids; recasts "medical marijuana treatment centers" as "medical marijuana establishments," including a new fully integrated class; reserves all non-integrated medical licenses exclusively to social equity businesses for 36 months with conditional expansion; staggers access to the higher retail cap over three years; and orders audits, regulatory reviews, and market and public-health studies.

Establishes a comprehensive legal market for hemp-derived products, requiring Commission registration and independent lab certification for hemp beverage products and consumable CBD; sets manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and testing standards to ensure cannabinoids are naturally produced and derived from transportable hemp concentrate; channels hemp beverages through existing alcoholic-beverage manufacturing, wholesale, and off-premises retail licenses with in-store, age-21 sales only and no mail/online delivery; imposes a $4.05-per-gallon excise on hemp beverages (exempt from sales tax) and a 5.35% excise on consumable CBD retail sales in addition to sales tax; and prohibits all other cannabinoid-containing products except specified categories, empowering local boards of health to seize and destroy noncompliant goods and levy penalties by regulation.

Overhauls cannabis governance by reconstituting the Cannabis Control Commission as a three-member body appointed by the Governor with a full-time Chair and an Executive Director wielding independent enforcement authority, adopts strict ethics and ex parte limits, maintains and updates the Cannabis Advisory Board, and terminates current commissioners' terms on the act's effective date for reappointment within 30 days.

Amends licensing by allowing a licensee up to 6 marijuana retailer licenses (phased to 4 within 24 months and 5 within 36 months), 3 cultivator and 3 product manufacturer licenses, and up to 3 fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center licenses; authorizes the Commission to cap overall license totals, facilitate employee stock ownership plan transfers, audit ownership-and-control limits, and develop model host community agreements; and reserves new, non-integrated medical licenses exclusively for social equity businesses for 36 months, with conditional expansion to certified MBEs, WBEs, VBEs, and craft cooperatives.

Increases adult possession and gifting limits to the dry-weight equivalent of 2 ounces and adjusts related civil and criminal weight thresholds; updates definitions to exclude hemp beverages, consumable CBD, and topical hemp products from "marijuana"; creates a 60-day inter-license credit rule with a delinquent-list regime; and directs studies on cannabis use patterns, market capacity, regulatory modernization, and workplace safety.

This bill contains a number of provisions to strengthen Massachusetts' agricultural economy. It directs the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), along with other state agencies, to create and update a resilience plan every five years. It establishes a full-time food system coordinator position, who will lead state food program oversight, enhance interagency collaboration, and present findings and recommendations periodically.

The bill calls for a comprehensive policy to optimize the distribution of local food through state food assistance programs, including partnerships with regional food banks and state departments to monitor and improve local food distribution, enhancing transparency through metrics and recommendations. It establishes the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, to increase access to healthy local foods and support Massachusetts' food supply and distribution networks through capital needs grants.

The bill creates the Next Generation Farmers Fund, offering grants to educational institutions and community organizations, with an emphasis on assisting historically underserved communities. It also amends regulations to include "agritourism" and supports agricultural preservation through enhanced valuation practices for agriculture-related infrastructure and land.

This bill addresses the presence and management of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) within the agricultural sector. It grants immunity to farmers from civil liability for PFAS-related damages stemming from standard agricultural practices. The bill also establishes the Agricultural PFAS Relief Fund. This fund will provide financial assistance for testing, remediation, and education initiatives concerning PFAS, as well as for necessary infrastructure modifications. Additionally, an Agricultural Fertilizer Purchasing Fund will help farmers cope with fertilization costs due to restrictions on PFAS-contained products.

The bill prohibits the application of biosolids on land and restricts the sale of fertilizers containing PFAS unless they are certified free from such substances, requiring testing and public disclosure of results. Also, lands withdrawn from agricultural use due to PFAS will be exempt from conveyance and roll-back taxes.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is designated to develop and enforce regulations on biosolid use, while promoting transparency and public safety. Local communities will be reimbursed for any additional costs of sludge disposal. The bill also mandates a detailed study on state sludge management to reduce sludge volume and toxicity. Supported by a grant program for municipalities to enhance waste management practices, this initiative requires a comprehensive sludge management plan to be submitted by the end of 2026, identifying financial and legislative requirements.

Establishes a year-round Healthy Incentives Program that provides a matching benefit-credited to recipients' EBT cards within Department-set limits-when SNAP benefits are redeemed for fruits and vegetables, and requires the Department of Transitional Assistance, in partnership with the Departments of Agricultural Resources and Public Health, to prioritize vendor expansion in areas with limited access to fresh, local produce while collaborating with local food coalitions and nonprofits for equitable outreach.

Creates the Healthy Incentives Fund, administered by the Commissioner of the Department of Transitional Assistance and supported by public and private sources including appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, and federal reimbursements or grants-in-aid; authorizes applications to federal programs, including the USDA's Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, to bolster matching benefits.

Requires annual reporting on participation metrics, transactions, participating and rejected vendors by municipality, plans and timelines to identify underserved areas and expand activity with siting metrics, and recommendations; and directs the Department to promulgate implementing regulations.

Overhauls the Cannabis Control Commission as a three-member body-two appointed by the Governor (one serving as chair) and one by the Attorney General-subjects it to laws governing agencies under gubernatorial control, vests enforcement and operations in an independent Executive Director, tightens ethics and ex parte restrictions, and terminates current commissioners with new appointments required within 30 days. Makes a number of other changes related to transfer limits, licensing, and the modernization of the medical program.

Reconstitutes the Cannabis Control Commission as a three-member body-two appointed by the Governor (one as Chair) and one by the Attorney General-with commissioners serving at the pleasure of their appointing authority, barred from investigations and ex parte communications, and vests independent enforcement and operational authority in the Executive Director; terminates all current commissioners upon enactment. Authorizes the Commission to limit the total number of licenses and resets per-licensee caps to 4 marijuana retailer, 3 medical, 3 product manufacturer, and 3 cultivator licenses with priority consideration for social-equity, minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses; facilitates sales to employee stock ownership plans and exempts ESOP trustees and sub-12 percent equity interests from ownership limits; and establishes a 60-day inter-licensee credit system with delinquency postings, transactional restrictions, and fines up to $5,000 per violation.

Raises lawful adult possession to the dry-weight equivalent of 2 ounces, updates related criminal and civil thresholds, requires potency-equivalency standards, and permits gifting up to 2 ounces; allows limited delivery in every municipality unless a non-retail community secures a renewable two-year waiver; permits in-store and opt-in email advertising of discounts and loyalty programs; and mandates procedures, minimum standards, and a model host community agreement to promote social-equity participation in negotiations. Modernizes the medical program by replacing "medical marijuana treatment center" with "medical marijuana establishment," expanding cardholder and temporary registration (including recognition of other U.S. jurisdictions), allowing additional license classes, eliminating mandatory vertical integration, authorizing suspension or revocation for illegal sales, and requiring annual review of testing regulations; and orders studies on cannabis-related mental health outcomes, market supply and demand with recommended license counts, excise-tax impacts, and regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoids.

Establishes a Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, subject to appropriation, to fund capital projects that strengthen food supply and distribution and expand equitable access to healthy, local food; creates a Next Generation Farmers Fund, administered by the Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development and credited with $3,000,000 annually from the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund for agricultural workforce training, with priority criteria and annual award limits of at least $3,000,000 for agriculture training and not more than $500,000 for forest-products training; and creates a Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund to convert vacant properties into farms, community gardens, and related enterprises, prioritizing environmental justice populations and providing multilingual outreach.

Grants the Department of Agricultural Resources a subordinate right of first refusal, with consultation and hearing, to purchase or meet a bona fide offer for land under the farmland taxation program; requires appraisals for agricultural preservation restrictions to include the value of easements and on-parcel infrastructure; and directs the Agricultural Lands Preservation Committee to set and publicly update enrollment goals for agricultural preservation restrictions with annual progress reporting.

Raises the allowable preference for procurement of locally grown or produced agricultural products in state and municipal purchasing from 10 to 20; requires the State Purchasing Agent to report annually on the amount, types, sources, and program-level distribution of local food in state-funded food assistance programs with recommendations to increase it; and directs the Office of the Inspector General to report and conduct periodic public information campaigns on municipal purchasing preferences. Requires the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to integrate agricultural, seafood, and processed-food production into emergency preparedness planning; mandates a central registry and interactive map of agricultural and horticultural land; clarifies agritourism in zoning and directs regulation; authorizes transfer of cranberry water-withdrawal permits for mitigation; orders periodic review of renewable-energy limits on farmland; restructures the University of Massachusetts Extension Board of Public Overseers; defines "Regenerative agriculture"; and requires a comprehensive study of safety-net benefits for farmers and farm workers, with multiple implementation deadlines.

Prohibits land application of biosolids and bans the sale or distribution of fertilizers, soil amendments, topsoil replacements, mulch, and similar products derived from or containing biosolids, effective June 30, 2028; requires manufacturer certification and conditions fertilizer licensing and registration on biosolids-free attestations.

Requires the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate statewide sludge disposal needs and, after public hearings, develop and maintain a comprehensive master plan with goals, benchmarks, and financing estimates; prioritizes technical assistance and funding for owners of publicly owned treatment works, provides a template local plan, identifies technologies and practices to reduce sludge volume and toxicity, and establishes a grant program to help wastewater facilities research, implement, and overhaul systems.

Grants farmers immunity from suit and civil liability for PFAS-related harms tied to standard agricultural practices or outside contamination, while excluding PFAS material producers and distributors (including biosolids), industrial waste entities, incinerator operators, and those who knowingly land-apply biosolids after June 30, 2028.

Creates an Agricultural PFAS Relief Fund for testing, operational adaptation, health needs, remediation, and public testing capacity, and an Agricultural Fertilizer Purchasing Fund to offset higher fertilizer costs; bars conveyance and rollback taxes when land exits agricultural use due to PFAS-related regulatory action; and reimburses municipalities 100 percent, discounted by inflation, for certified additional sludge disposal costs.

Establishes multiple grant and financing mechanisms to bolster the food system-creating a Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program for capital projects that strengthen supply and distribution and expand equitable access to fresh, local food; creating the Next Generation Farmers Fund for agricultural workforce development with priority for underserved populations, programs serving homeless veterans, and climate-smart training; and establishing the Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund to plan, acquire or lease land, build infrastructure, and launch pilots that convert vacant lots-especially in socially or economically disadvantaged communities-into urban agriculture. Creates a Massachusetts farm-to-school grant program to build schools' and licensed childcare programs' capacity to purchase ingredients grown, raised, caught and processed in-state, and codifies a Healthy Incentives Program that provides SNAP matching benefits for fruit and vegetable purchases while prioritizing vendor expansion in underserved areas. Requires the Emergency Management Agency to develop and regularly update a coordinated plan to support agricultural, seafood and processed food production to mitigate supply-chain disruptions; mandates an annual statewide report on the volume and sourcing of products of agriculture distributed through state-funded food assistance programs; and directs the Department of Agricultural Resources, in consultation with the Department of Revenue, to maintain a central registry and interactive, parcel-level map of agricultural and horticultural land. Defines agritourism and protects it under local zoning on land primarily used for commercial agriculture subject to agency regulations; updates review criteria for the Agricultural Preservation Restriction program; authorizes transfer of cranberry water-withdrawal registrations and permits for mitigation by other permitted or registered users; requires periodic review of restrictions on renewable energy generation on farmland with recommendations to balance farm viability and climate goals; directs recurring outreach on governmental procurement preferences for agricultural products; and reconfigures the University of Massachusetts Extension board's membership and governance.

Establishes a Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program to fund capital projects that strengthen food supply and distribution and expand equitable access to healthy, local food; creates the Next Generation Farmers Fund for agricultural workforce development and the Vacant Lots to Urban Agriculture Fund to convert vacant lots-prioritizing disadvantaged communities-into urban agriculture; and requires a recurring plan to support agricultural, seafood and processed food production to mitigate supply-chain disruptions. Requires the Office of Business Development to convene a food tourism task force to identify state-operated and state-owned venues, develop a brand, and connect vendors for marketing and sales; mandates an annual report detailing distribution of products of agriculture through state-funded food assistance; launches a farm-to-school grant program to increase school and childcare purchasing of in-state ingredients; and strengthens the Healthy Incentives Program by providing SNAP recipients additional EBT benefits and prioritizing vendor access in underserved areas. Defines and regulates Agritourism and protects it as an allowed use under local zoning on land primarily devoted to commercial agriculture and related activities; and authorizes municipalities to exempt, for up to five years, the increased property value from constructing or reconstructing agricultural structures and buildings, with roll-back taxes if the use later changes. Directs periodic review of limits on renewable energy generation on farmland to improve farm viability while considering renewable energy goals; bars conveyance and roll-back taxes when PFAS-related regulatory actions make agricultural use economically infeasible without owner misconduct; establishes a central registry and interactive map of agricultural and horticultural land; updates Agricultural Preservation Restriction evaluation criteria; and permits certain cranberry water-withdrawal rights from 2003-2005 to be transferred for mitigation.