Much has been made about a proposal pending before the Cannabis Control Commission to allow marijuana home deliveries in Massachusetts. If the concept makes you pause, you are not alone. Among 54 percent of voters who voted for legalization in 2016, there’s a subset who could imagine stores selling cannabis, but are nervous about it arriving at one’s doorstep. There may be concerns about safety. Maybe it’s the fear of diversion to children. Maybe it’s NIMBY-ism: a store operating one town over is different than a delivery van arriving next door. For those who voted against legalization but begrudgingly accept stores opening, delivery may seem too much, too fast.

I believe there is a place for home delivery in our regulated system if we include guardrails that treat it like storefront retail. That includes identification checks when customers make an order and when the delivery is made to prevent underage sales. Another is the use of body cameras for employees to deter robberies and provide evidence when they occur (see: California and Nevada). Crime risks must factor into any safely regulated system that functions well, not just for employees and customers, but also for the public at large. Of course, privacy is important, and it is reasonable to limit how video is used.

If conflicting concerns exist, why allow delivery now? The reality is you can receive marijuana at your front door in Massachusetts today. Six medical marijuana dispensaries already offer delivery to patients, and some use body cameras voluntarily. At least one reportedly made over 2000 deliveries in 2018 without any reported incident.

More compelling, however, is this truth: illicit dealers are happy to serve your neighbor or students living in off-campus apartments right now. How prevalent is it? Check Yelp. Alongside recommendations for restaurants, you’ll find reviews of legal medical marijuana delivery and illegal adult-use delivery services. Look at the federal charges against a delivery operation in Milton last April. A multimillion-dollar business allegedly netted $80,000 monthly for a proprietor who paid no taxes on deliveries to people’s mailboxes by multiple employees.

Marijuana is here and it’s not going away. Illegal delivery services openly compete against licensed, regulated, taxpaying businesses and that demands action. The state should authorize monetary sanctions against unlicensed, unregulated actors as is done in other contexts. The legislation to do that is pending, but alone, it is not enough.

Given the public’s preference for convenient service, regulated marijuana without delivery may miss the forest for the trees. It is clear the desire for expedient access will be filled, and there are benefits to the state meeting the demand with a product tested for safety, taxed for revenue, and monitored to prevent youth access.

Legalized delivery also offers opportunities to those struggling to enter a regulated marketplace with high start-up costs and limited or no access to capital because of marijuana’s federally illegal status. Some individuals are working to transition from the illicit market to the legal industry and the Commission’s Social Equity Program is aimed at lowering barriers that exist. We know a regulated delivery system is not the solitary solution to equity in the industry, but it’s an important step we can take now.

We may never eliminate the illicit market completely while marijuana remains federally illegal. Those who are under 21 may still seek out marijuana – just like alcohol – and bad actors will cater to that demand. But by adding delivery to Massachusetts’ regulatory scheme, with thoughtful safeguards out of the gates, we may fulfill one of the mandates of legalization and start to make a dent in those concerns.

Britte McBride is a member of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission