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Lobbying expenditures totaled $85.6m in 2020
Lobbying Expenditures Totaled $85.6m in 2020. THE STATE HOUSE is closed these days because of COVID-19, but for the most part businesses...
SJC takes up local control of marijuana licensing
Host community agreements make towns gatekeepers of state approval OFFICIALLY, THE STATE licenses marijuana businesses. Practically, local...
2020
Top Women of Law
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly released their Top Women of Law for 2020, and Smith, Costello & Crawford’s own Jen Crawford was selected...
Who Will Lead the Way?
2020
Boston Magazine reported a list of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston Right Now, recognizing Jim Smith at Number 26. Who Will Lead...
- The Supreme Judicial Court urged the Legislature to update the state’s marijuana law to provide “much-needed clarity” on issues surrounding the agreements between marijuana shops and their host communities. SJC urges Legislature to update marijuana laws (Jul. 30, 2021)
- Eastern Bank plans to continue Century Bank’s marijuana-banking business once it acquires its competitor later in 2021. Eastern excited to take over Century Bank’s cannabis business (Apr. 8, 2021)
- In 2020, Smith, Costello & Crawford ranked first in Massachusetts lobbying billings, as reported by CommonWealth magazine. Lobbying Expenditures Totaled $85.6m in 2020 (Mar. 4, 2021)
- Law360 discussed the Supreme Judicial Court’s upcoming decision over local regulatory authority over cannabis licenses. Pot Attys Hope Mass. Top Court Curbs Local Regulatory Clout (Feb. 8, 2021)
- Commonwealth Magazine spoke with Jim Smith to discuss the details of the Supreme Judicial Court’s upcoming case that will determine whether state or local officials should have greater discretion when granting cannabis licenses. SJC takes up local control of marijuana licensing (Jan. 21, 2021)
- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly released their Top Women of Law for 2020, and Smith, Costello & Crawford’s own Jen Crawford was selected as a Circle of Excellence honoree. Top Women of Law 2020 (Nov. 16, 2020)
- Boston Magazine reported a list of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston Right Now, recognizing Jim Smith at Number 26. Who Will Lead the Way? (April 28, 2020)
- The Boston Business Journal reported on Jim Smith’s success in gaining zoning approval in East Boston for Smith, Costello & Crawford’s client, East Boston Bloom, following controversy over buffer restrictions. City approves marijuana shop in East Boston despite zoning discrepancy (Sept. 17, 2019)
- In first half of 2019, Smith, Costello & Crawford ranked first in Massachusetts lobbying billings, as reported by CommonWealth magazine and other publications. The firm continued its strong growth in representing an array of cannabis companies along with its traditional strengths in other areas, including offshore wind and health care. Marijuana fuels lobbying firm’s growth (Aug. 28, 2019)
- Smith, Costello & Crawford surged in the rankings of Massachusetts lobbying firms, emerging second in 2018 billings. Why? As this CommonWealth magazine story notes, Jim Smith attributes the rapid growth to the firm’s involvement in offshore wind and its embrace of the fast-moving cannabis industry. Beacon Hill lobbying hierarchy changing a bit (March 1, 2019)
- With a growing chorus of concern about the lack of social equity in the Massachusetts marijuana industry, Jim Smith, in an op-ed in CommonWealth magazine, outlines a plan to secure a significant pool of funding for “empowerment” entrepreneurs. A 1% solution to promote cannabis diversity (Feb. 12, 2019)
- With many towns’ moratoriums allowing cannabis businesses expiring at the beginning of the year, their road forward has been slow and unclear for cannabis business operators. Jim Smith weighs in on the confusion in a MassLive story: official moratoriums have be replaced with processes that are “incredibly cumbersome and time consuming.” As marijuana moratoriums expire, Massachusetts businesses still struggle with town rules (Feb. 7, 2019)
- As taxes from adult-use sales begin to roll in, NBC Boston explores in this segment just how much and where it’s going. Jim Smith makes some key points about new revenue, predicting many cities and towns eventually will ask, “Why not me?” Marijuana Shops Could Top $80M in Tax Revenue this Year (Dec. 7, 2018)
- The lack of banking options remains a severe hindrance for the expansion of the cannabis industry, the topic of this segment on WBUR that included Jim Smith. The Uncertain Future Of Marijuana Banking And Financing In Mass. (Nov. 27, 2018)
- What’s the root cause of the Massachusetts marijuana bottleneck that has yielded only two adult-use retail outlets currently open for business? Jim Smith explains the government generation gap that is holding back permitting on the local level in this op-ed in CommonWealth magazine. Pot legalization exposes generation gap in local government (Nov. 18, 2018)
- With news just breaking that the first two adult-use cannabis retail stores will soon open their doors, Jim Smith is quoted in the Boston Business Journal about the frenzy (and supply shortages) that likely will ensue. Recreational marijuana sales will begin in Mass. on Tuesday (Nov. 16, 2018)
- Jay Youmans fielded some tough questions from radio hosts Bax and O’Brien (Rock 102 — WAQY FM) in this interview about the ongoing delays in the start of adult-use sales. (Nov. 16, 2018)
- Speaking with NECN’s Brian Burnell, Jim Smith provided an update on the progress of the licensing and permitting process for adult-use cannabis on “This Week in Business”: A Massachusetts Pot Progress Report (Oct. 28, 2018)
- Jim Smith weighed in on the realities of town permitting, especially Host Community Agreements, speaking on a North Shore business panel, as reported in the Boston Business Journal: Marijuana industry experts address burning issues over recreational market at Salem event (Oct. 12, 2018)
- Jim Smith frames the true potential of the Massachusetts cannabis industry, despite its early obstacles, in this Boston Business Journal op-ed: Viewpoint: Mass. cannabis industry is for real, in due time (Aug. 23, 2018)
- Jim Smith and Keith Cooper, CEO of Revolutionary Clinics, talk about the state of the Massachusetts marijuana industry on New England Cable News’ “The Take”: What’s holding up sales of recreational marijuana in Mass.? (Aug. 15, 2018)
- Jim Smith joins a discussion on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” to discuss the challenges involved with the next stage of the Commonwealth’s emerging cannabis industry: Lags In Massachusetts’ Legal Marijuana Industry Hinder Those Looking To Benefit (Aug. 14, 2018)
- Jay Youmans, a key organizer in the region’s first major cannabis job fair on July 25 at Roxbury Community College, frames the new industry’s wide-ranging workforce needs in this Boston Globe story: Mass. pot industry projected to employ 20,000 (July 26, 2018)
- Boston.com quotes Jay Youmans extensively about the job-growth potential of the Massachusetts cannabis industry: “We’re really trying to destigmatize this industry and [have] folks understand this is no different than any other industry.” Want a job in the Massachusetts marijuana industry? Here’s what to know. (July 17, 2018)
- Jim Smith and Commissioner Jennifer Flanagan of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission talked all things marijuana on CommonWealth magazine’s “Codcast” following the arrival of the July 1 “deadline” for retail sales of cannabis without an outlet yet open: The Marijuana Blame Game (July 2, 2018)
- Jim Smith is featured in a Boston Business Journal cover story on the business-to-business potential of the budding Massachusetts marijuana industry: It tokes a village: The Mass. marijuana industry fuels growth across industries (June 28, 2018)
- See Jim Smith’s op-ed in the Boston Globe on the million-dollar question cities and towns face in deciding to permit adult-use marijuana and how unfounded fears are slowing the rollout of the industry: Cities and towns face a million-dollar cannabis question (June 19, 2018)
- Jim Smith talks with New England Cable News’ Brian Burnell on This Week In Business about the current state of the Massachusetts cannabis industry and the many complexities involved with adult-use retail permitting. (June 24, 2018)
- Jay Youmans weighs in on the need for the newly formed Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association, which Smith, Costello & Crawford has helped create, in this Boston Globe story: Trade group forms to represent marijuana industry (May 5, 2018)
- Read Jim Smith’s insightful op-ed in CommonWealth Magazine on the “obstacle course” marijuana businesses face in gaining local approvals to operate: Too many municipal marijuana bottlenecks (April 14, 2018)
- Jim Smith weighs in on the business sense of dual medical/retail models for the new era of Massachusetts legalization: Massachusetts medical marijuana facilities that never opened now want priority to sell recreational marijuana (April 17, 2018)
- Jim Smith points out the many local regulatory hurdles facing marijuana businesses in this Boston Business Journal story: If you’re hoping to buy recreational pot this summer, you might be disappointed (April 2, 2018)
- Jay Youmans is quoted in this Boston Globe story outlining the City of Boston’s new zoning regulations for marijuana businesses: Here’s where marijuana businesses can set up shop in Boston under new zoning rules (April 10, 2018)
- Jim Smith is quoted in this MassLive story about the lack of standard banking options and the ensuing security challenges for the budding marijuana industry: Cash-heavy marijuana industry faces banking, security challenges (March 22, 2018)
- Jay Youmans explains the newly launched adult-use licensing process to the Boston University Free Press: Commercial marijuana permits now available for business in the Commonwealth (April 3, 2018)
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Address: 1 State Street 15th Floor Boston, MA 02109
PHONE: 617.523.0600