Massachusetts Pushes Forward with Cannabis Legalization

ew England has recently been making new strides in legalizing
cannabis, and most recently, state legislators in Massachusetts are proposing
full legalization.

According to the Boston
Globe, legislators at Beacon Hill anticipate activists to write a law for
the ballot that consists of legalization initiatives, and would rather have
control over how the bill reads themselves.

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea for the Legislature to look at
it ahead of time, listen to every point of view, anticipate every problem that
we could, and try to do it right?” stated Senator Patricia D. Jehlen, Democrat,
stated in an interview with the Globe.
Stanley C. Rosenberg, President of the Massachusetts Senate, added, “I think it’s
better if we’re going to do this, to do it in the Legislature than on the
ballot. I believe if the Legislature doesn’t act on it, it will be done on the
ballot.”

Overall, the state is pretty liberal on most issues, and
they have already approved cannabis decriminalization and medical cannabis.
However, the medical industry has not been very successful so far, as the
dispensaries that are there already there have been struggling trying to get
licensed, so this would be something that would need to be taken into
consideration for this law to pass. Another issue is that Governor Charlie
Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey are both outspoken opponents of legal
cannabis, and might fight against the bill being passed, or in the case of the
Governor, veto it completely.

“I think it’s time we got on with it and legalized [cannabis],”
stated Senator William N. Brownsberger, Democrat and committee chairman, in
regards to the bill he helped write. “There are too many ways for people to get
in trouble in this state, and it’s time to get rid of one of them.” Hopefully
these Senators will be successful in making this a reality.