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A composite image of Western Massachusetts leaders who voiced opinions of medical marijuana regulations.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, charged with implementing the Commonwealth's law allowing medical marijuana, is expected to announce the recipients of medical marijuana dispensary licenses on Thursday or Friday.

The Department of Public Health will issue no fewer than 14, and up to 35, medical marijuana dispensary licenses out of over 181 applications received.

A three-phase application process, the first round of applications were received in August. 159 made it to the second phase of review. By November, 100 were still in the running. Dispensaries that are selected will be required to pay a $50,000 annual registration fee.

As prospective 'ganjapreneurs' clamor to learn their fate in the Bay State industry, an interactive timeline below offers a look back at medical marijuana in Massachusetts.