Articles by Bob Salsberg

Boston Transit Head Seeks Outside Review After Two Derailments

The head of the Boston-area transit system promised an independent review of recent subway derailments after one during Tuesday’s morning rush caused widespread disruption for commuters. Steve Poftak, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said investigators were trying …

Speedy Reactor Cleanups May Carry Both Risks and Rewards

Companies specializing in the handling of radioactive material are buying retired U.S. nuclear reactors from utilities and promising to clean them up and demolish them in dramatically less time than usual – eight years instead of 60, in some cases. …

Mass. Pot Shops May Be Open, but Workers Can Still Be Fired Over Weed

The long-awaited opening of the first recreational marijuana stores in Massachusetts was cheered by cannabis enthusiasts and entrepreneurs, but it doesn’t change the reality that workers can be fired or face disciplinary action from employers for marijuana, even when they …

With Pot Shops Opening Soon, Massachusetts Warns About Driving High

In anticipation of the first recreational marijuana stores opening within Massachusetts in the coming weeks, state officials Wednesday stepped up warnings to motorists about the risks of driving while stoned. A new public education and enforcement campaign announced by Republican …

Massachusetts Lawmakers Approve Rental, Voter, Climate Bills as Deadline Looms

The Massachusetts Legislature gave final approval Monday to a bill that would tax and regulate short-term rentals, including those offered by Airbnb and other online platforms. After weeks of negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers reached agreement on the compromise bill …

Massachusetts Cannabis Regulators Busy Rolling Out the Rules for Legal Pot

From “cannabis cafes” to “craft cooperatives,” regulators have been laying out a vision for what a potential multibillion dollar recreational marijuana industry might look like when retail sales begin next year in Massachusetts. The Cannabis Control Commission reached tentative agreement …

Some Massachusetts Towns Going to Pot, After All

They may not be mad about reefer, but a growing number of Massachusetts communities are leaving their borders open to commercial marijuana businesses, bucking a wave of bans and moratoriums that followed voter approval of legal recreational pot. Recent votes …

Massachusetts Pot Regulatory Board Set With Naming of Three More Members

The board responsible for regulating marijuana in Massachusetts is now in place after the selection of three more members. Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey on Friday appointed Britte McBride, a former assistant state attorney general, to the five-member Cannabis Control …

Senator Flanagan First Appointee to Massachusetts Marijuana Regulatory Post

A state senator was named Wednesday by Governor Charlie Baker to the regulatory board that will oversee the cannabis industry in Massachusetts. Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, of Leominster, is the first appointee to the five-member Cannabis Control Commission. She will serve …

Massachusetts Marijuana Deal Calls for Up to 20 Percent Tax on Pot Sales

State House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement Monday on a revamped version of Massachusetts’ voter-approved marijuana law that would allow retail pot sales to be taxed at a maximum 20 percent rate. The deal was struck following closed-door negotiations …