Committee raises medical marijuana concerns
The special Senate committee that has been studying marijuana legalization with an eye on the possibility that Massachusetts voters might approve it in November urged a cautious approach and outlined concerns it's found with the legal pot industries elsewhere.
Among the concerns raised in a report released Tuesday morning are the impacts legalization would have on children and teens, the ability of law enforcement officers to discern when a driver is under the influence of marijuana, the changes in the black market that would be spurred by legalization, and the mechanics of cultivating a new industry that remains illegal at the federal level.
"The committee members believe strongly that it would be prudent for Massachusetts to take a cautious approach to considering marijuana legalization, and continue to learn from the experience of other states," the report states in its executive summary. "If the Legislature were to take up legislation to legalize marijuana or the voters were to approve the likely ballot question in November, it will be critical for the legislature to carefully consider how best to address the numerous policy issues outlined in this report in order to protect the health and safety of the residents of the Commonwealth."
A ballot initiative supported by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would legalize the adult use of marijuana and make it available through a regulated retail industry. The ballot initiative would enact a 3.75 percent state excise tax on retail marijuana sales, allow adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana in public and up to 10 ounces in a locked location within their home, and establish a Cannabis Control Commission to oversee the new industry.
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