On July 28, 2017 Governor Baker signed a compromise bill approved by lawmakers earlier that raises taxes on retail sales of marijuana, establishes stringent requirements for the packaging and labeling of marijuana products, and spells out procedures cities and towns must follow if they wish to ban or restrict pot shops from opening in their communities.

There are various issues local governments will confront with the adoption of this law and significant questions about exactly what should and can be done, and when, at the local level.