State cannabis regulators halted all business of a licensee that has locations in Sheffield and Attleboro as they investigate an owner who "allegedly conspired to evade Commonwealth licensing and drug laws, thereby posing an imminent danger to public health, safety, and welfare."
The Cannabis Control Commission froze all medical and adult-use marijuana activity at Nova Farms, LLC, and ordered a quarantine of its marijuana on Friday with a summary suspension order after the agency became aware of pending criminal charges against Mark Rioux, who is listed as a person with an ownership or controlling interests in six Massachusetts licenses.
The CCC said that none of Nova Farms' licenses have commenced operations in either the medical or non-medical markets in Massachusetts.
"The Commission takes these allegations seriously and is taking immediate action to protect against the risks of diversion and criminal elements entering the legal market," CCC Executive Director Shawn Collins said. "The Commonwealth has enacted strict laws and regulations to ensure our legal cannabis industry is safe and accessible. As these allegations would undermine those objectives, the Commission will continue to investigate and work alongside our counterparts in Attleboro and Sheffield to uphold public health and public safety first and foremost."