Marijuana Regulatory Panel Slow to Take Shape

BOSTON (AP) — The state’s top elected officials are facing a deadline for assembling an agency that will regulate marijuana in Massachusetts.

By law, the five-member Cannabis Control Commission is supposed to be in place by Friday, but for now its only member is outgoing Democratic state Sen. Jennifer Flanagan, who was named last week by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.

State Treasurer Deb Goldberg and Attorney General Maura Healey also have appointments to make, with Goldberg responsible for choosing the person who will serve as chair of the commission.

Once in place, the panel will face a number of challenges including a limited budget and an ambitious timetable as it works to implement the voter-approved law — later revised by the Legislature — that allows for adult use of recreational marijuana.