The Massachusetts Legislature on Wednesday delayed the key provisions of new recreational marijuana law after which the backer of the provisions are not happy.
The House and Senate has put a six-month delay on the recreational marijuana law including the licensing of pot shops.
According to a report in pressherald, the bill was passed without a public hearing and without debate during lightly attended session at the house.
The move by the house has now made it illegal to sell pot barring registered medical marijuana patients in Massachusetts.
Pressherald quoted Senate President Stan Rosenberg as saying "The Legislature has a responsibility to implement the will of the voters while also protecting public health and public safety".
Meanwhile, the bill would also require the state Department of Public Health to commission a detailed study of marijuana usage in Massachusetts and the possible impacts of the new law.
Several lawmakers have expressed concern that the 3.75 percent state excise tax currently in the law would be too low to cover regulatory and enforcement costs.
A spokesperson for Republican government Charlie Baker has suggested the possible need for more local control over pot shops and limits on the potency of edible marijuana products.
Voters in California, Maine and Nevada also approved recreational marijuana initiatives last month, joining Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, which previously had legalized recreational marijuana.
Baker would review the bill before deciding whether to sign it.
Earlier he has told media persons that he would respect the will of voters, but was open to delaying implementation of the law for a "reasonable time period."
However, Pressherald quoted a sponser as saying that their position over the bill remains the same and added that the measure was written with careful consideration regarding process and time lines and that no major legislative revisions are necessary.
