Martha’s Vineyard is running low on weed

The only two medical marijuana dispensaries in Martha’s Vineyard, catering to over 230 registered users, are running out of supplies because Massachusetts won’t allow transporting weed over federal waters, despite voters legalizing the plant.

The state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) holds the legal position that transporting cannabis across the ocean—whether by boat or plane—is a violation of federal laws.

The CCC’s stand wasn’t a problem until the island’s pot supply ran out. Earlier, local dispensaries used to grow their own crop to avoid CCC’s regulation. But the island’s only commercial grower halted production, citing regulatory concerns.

Now, residents have to take a costly and time-consuming ferry trip to the mainland to get their cannabis prescriptions filled.

One dispensary owner, Geoff Rose, has sued the CCC, hoping to ease the rules. States, including California, Washington, Hawaii and Maine, have previously made amendments to laws to allow the movement of weed over water bodies.