Massachusetts brands have been asking the same question for years: if a dispensary won't pay, does the state do anything? Today the honest answer is no rule yet, but a lot of movement. The regulator has studied it, and the legislature has bills that would change it.
What the current rules say
As of October 2026, we found no provision in the Cannabis Control Commission's adult-use regulations (935 CMR 500) that sets payment terms, credit limits or a delinquent process for sales between licensees. The regulations do define the contract that governs those sales:
935 CMR 500.002 · Definitions
“Wholesale Agreement means a contract between Marijuana Establishments defining the terms of Transfer of Marijuana or Marijuana Products between the Marijuana Establishments.”
So for now, your wholesale agreement and your invoice terms are what a store has agreed to. That makes writing them down clearly the most important step you control.
What the Commission has said
At its May 2024 policy meeting, the Commission took up the "Issue of Extended or Delinquent Accounts Receivable." The staff presentation said an excessive balance of outstanding accounts receivable can create financial challenges for all participants in the supply chain, and listed the options licensees have today:
- Negotiate with delinquent business partners to offer new terms or payment arrangements.
- End further sales to any business customer.
- Seek relief through the Massachusetts court system or other means.
The presentation also said the Commission needed to understand the issue better before changing policy or regulations, and proposed asking licensees for public comment.
The bills that would cap credit at 60 days
Two bills in the 2025–2026 session share the title "An Act regularizing accounts receivable in the cannabis industry." House bill H.180 was redrafted as H.4534. Here's what H.4534 would do if it passed as written:
Credit capped at 60 days
It would be unlawful to receive or extend credit for cannabis sold to another licensee except in the usual course of business and for no more than 60 days.
Report within 3 days
Once a buyer is delinquent, the seller would notify the Commission and the buyer within 3 days, with the delivery date and the unpaid amount.
A delinquent list
Within 5 days, the Commission would review the report and, if valid, post the delinquent licensee's name and address to a list other licensees can see.
Cash on delivery until it's paid
Nobody could sell to a listed licensee except for full payment on or before delivery. Once the debt is paid, the seller would notify the Commission within 24 hours and the name would come off within 1 business day.
The bill would also block a change of ownership for a listed licensee until its debts are cleared, set a fine of up to $5,000 for violations, and give the Commission a year to write matching regulations.
60 days
the proposed credit cap between licensees
3 days
for a seller to report a delinquent buyer under the bill
$5,000
the proposed maximum fine for a violation
Status as of 10/27/2026: H.4534 was reported favorably by the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy on 09/25/2025 and referred to House Ways and Means. S.82 was reported favorably on 12/29/2025 and referred to Senate Ways and Means. Neither has been enacted, so none of the steps above apply today. Check the bill pages for the latest.
What to do now
- Put your terms in the wholesale agreement and on every invoice. If the bill passes, the date of delivery and the unpaid amount are exactly what a report would need.
- Follow up long before 60 days. An invoice that's 20 days late is a reminder. One that's 90 days late is a dispute.
- Keep a dated record. When it went out, when the store promised to pay, whether it kept that promise.
- Use the options the Commission listed. Renegotiate with a payment plan, stop shipping on credit, or take it to court, with your attorney.
Where ShelfSpace fits
Massachusetts may soon put a clock on credit. ShelfSpace already runs one for you: reminders start when an invoice comes due, a missed promise is flagged the day it's missed, and a final notice goes out on your letterhead when an invoice passes your mark.
A pay link on every invoice
Each store gets a standing Pay Now link that needs no login. It rides on the invoice and on every reminder, so paying you is always one click away.
Reminders on a schedule, in your name
Reminders go out on the schedule you pick and firm up as the invoice ages. Your sales rep can be copied on every one.
Promises written down
When a store says it will pay Friday, log it. Reminders on those invoices pause, ShelfSpace checks QuickBooks on the date, and the promise is marked Kept, Kept late, Partly paid, or Missed.
A final notice on your letterhead
Once an invoice passes your mark (60 days late unless you pick another number), send one page with a pay-by date and only the consequences you will really carry out. Reporting the balance to the state regulator is one of the five choices, and all five start unchecked.
All of it shows up in AR Aging, your list of who owes you sorted by how late they are. So when a rule or a court asks what happened, you have the dates: when the invoice went out, what the store promised, whether it kept that promise, and the letter you sent. See the full system on Collections, Promise to Pay and Final Notice.
See how other states compare in our guide to cannabis wholesale payment rules by state, and for the full collections playbook, read how to get paid by dispensaries.
This page explains public rules in plain English. It isn't legal advice. Before you report a store, sue, or change your credit terms, check with your own attorney.
Sources
- Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, 935 CMR 500.000: Adult Use of Marijuana (as posted 09/11/2026)
- Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, May 2024 policy meeting packet (accounts receivable discussion)
- Massachusetts H.4534 (2025–2026), new draft of H.180
- Massachusetts H.180 (2025–2026), An Act regularizing accounts receivable in the cannabis industry
- Massachusetts S.82 (2025–2026), An Act regularizing accounts receivable in the cannabis industry
Sources last checked 10/27/2026. Rules change: confirm the current text with the regulator before you rely on it.