Lawrence, MA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

011 defines the offense with three moving parts. Subsection A makes it unlawful to knowingly consume marijuana when a person is on, or upon any public place, except as permitted by ordinance, regulation, statute, or permit, or outdoors on property adjacent to a public place, and without consent of the owner or person in control thereof. section 812(d); and public place is defined expansively to include streets, highways, sidewalks, alleys, transportation facilities, parking areas, convention centers, sports arenas, schools, places of business or amusement, shopping centers, malls, parks, playgrounds, prisons, and hallways, lobbies, doorways and other portions of apartment houses and hotels not constituting rooms or apartments designed for actual residence.

Subsection C carves out an exception where consumption is authorized by a state permit or license or authorized by a municipal permit or lease, which is how the city can allow a licensed cannabis consumption event without rewriting the ban. 040 of this code, giving police the choice between a criminal charge and a ticket-style non-criminal disposition depending on the circumstances. The ordinance dates to Doc. 213/2015, effective August 1, 2016, adopted as recreational marijuana legalization was taking shape statewide.