Business Mixes With Advocacy, Concern At Pot Forum
Patients, doctors, substance abuse counselors, politicians, lawyers, veterans and entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on the legalization of medical marijuana weighed in on potential regulations Wednesday afternoon in Worcester.
For about two hours, more than 50 people addressed members of the state's Department of Public Health at Worcester Public Library, where approximately 100 people filled a room.
The DPH hopes to issue regulations in May.
Entrepreneurs And The Pot Industry
David Doucette of Marlborough, who has worked in the tech sector for years, said he first experienced the medical benefit of marijuana when he was diagnosed with painful kidney stones. After suffering complications from the painkillers he was prescribed, he tried marijuana.
"And the pain went away," Doucette said.
Now, Doucette wants to open a nonprofit dispensary somewhere in the MetroWest area, but he told regulators that there are many unanswered questions – from how many patients a dispensary will be able to serve and who tracks it to whether or not it will be permitted to sell to patients from other states.
"Nonprofits still require positive cash flow to survive," he said. "Taxes, fees and other hidden costs can ruin any corporation."
Bruce Bedrick, CEO of California-based Medbox Inc. – a publicly traded company that makes drug dispensing machines with fingerprint recognition and recently opened a Natick office – commended DPH for inviting public input before drafting regulations and holding public hearings.
"To seek public feedback before the rules are written is groundbreaking in this industry," Bedrick said.
Addison DeMoura, founder of Steep Hill Labs, also based in California, stressed the important of screening marijuana for mold, pesticides and other contaminants. He said his company has tested nearly 100,000 marijuana samples.
"Steep Hill would be interested in coming forward and helping you guys with anything, from data or other standpoints," DeMoura said.
But not everyone at the forum was high on the business angle.
Robert Tatro, a retired corrections officer from Auburn who supports medical marijuana efforts, said it should be Massachusetts residents seeing the economic benefits of the burgeoning industry.
"There are a lot of out-of-state interests coming into Massachusetts already, contacting law firms and trying to develop and inroad here," Tatro said. "In my opinion, there should be a restriction of a five-year minimum mandatory residency requirement. "That way people from California, Oregon and Washington State can't come in and take all the profits off of Massachusetts and then bring them all back out of state."
Patients Recount Benefits
Several people who identified themselves as medical marijuana patients said the drug saved their life.
Jerry Smith, who did not state where he was from, approached the microphone today in a wheelchair. A 2007 car accident paralyzed him from the waist down.
Marijuana helped him reduce the number of medications he was taking from more than 20 down to five.
"It's given me my life back, the opportunity to be a dad again, a member of the community," Smith said. "Without it, I wouldn't be here today speaking to you about it."
Eliza Quill, a medical case manager and former medical marijuana patient, said chemotherapy treatment left her unable to eat and wanting to die. Marijuana changed that, she said.
"I'm telling you it works," Quill said.
City Concerns
Dr. Michael Hirsh, who is both Worcester's public health commissioner and president of the Worcester district of the Massachusetts Medical Society, spoke first of his concern as a physician.
"There's been a very strong concern in the medical community about choosing to prescribe marijuana when it's never really had any of the standard dosing testing that's been standardized for other drugs by the Food and Drug Administration," Hirsh said. "That being said, as commission of public health, we do recognize that the people have spoken and we want to respond appropriately."
Hirsh's office is calling for the the state to specifically recognize municipal authority in enacting stricter controls on dispensaries than is contained in the law, and that the DPH address how marijuana food products will be regulated.
John Kelly, the city's commissioner of inspectional services, echoed that request, asking that communities have authority in regulating the siting of dispensaries.
Jane Gasek, head of the Worcester Property Owners Association, said she feels sympathy for patients who are suffering and could benefit from marijuana. But she said many of the landlords her association represents get property insurance discounts for not allowing tenants to smoke. They fear their insurance costs would rise if tenants smoked, and the possibility that other tenants might opt to move out if smoking is happening near their apartment.
City Councilor Konstantina Lukes said she is worried how the new law will play out in the Bay State because she doesn't feel that other states that have legalized medical marijuana have fared very well in implementing regulations.
Lukes unsuccessfully attempted to convince fellow councilors in December to prohibit dispensaries in Worcester out of public safety and health concerns. She believes many recreational marijuana users voted in favor of the November ballot question and said medical marijuana is the first step towards full legalization.
"You could go out to the parking lot and probably buy some right now," Lukes said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
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