Question 4 Deliberately Strips Control From Communities and Homeowners Because Marijuana Industry Knows Massachusetts Families Don’t Want Pot Shops In Their Neighborhoods
The marijuana industry stripped control away from homeowners and communities under Question 4 because they knew that people do not want pot shops in their own neighborhoods, the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts said today.
Under Question 4, local communities and homeowners are given significantly less ability to restrict the number or location of marijuana businesses than we have seen in the Massachusetts casino law, the medical marijuana law, and even marijuana legalization laws in other states.
Today’s Boston Globe report on the the medical marijuana law outlined the concerns raised by local cities and towns and their steps to reject proposed medical marijuana shops in neighborhoods.
Broad-based Bi-partisan Coalition Urges Rejection of Ballot Question to Legalize Commercial Marijuana Industry in Massachusetts
A broad-based, bi-partisan coalition of community leaders and experts joined together today to urge voters to reject the proposed ballot question to legalize the commercial marijuana industry in Massachusetts. Particularly in the context of the addiction crisis we are currently facing, the leaders said allowing the billion-dollar marijuana industry into Massachusetts to market highly potent edible products and increase access to young people is the wrong path for the state. The press conference, held today at the William J. Ostiguy Recovery High School in Boston, was the official kick off of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts. Participating in the event included Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins, health and anti-addiction advocates, doctors and educators, and business and public safety leaders.
With Focus on Kids And Edibles, School Nurses Oppose Question 4
The Massachusetts School Nurse Organization (MSNO) has voiced their opposition to Question 4, raising particular concerns about the dangerous edibles market and the impact of legalization the commercial marijuana industry on kids. The MSNO represents thousands of school nurses in communities across the Commonwealth. Their mission is to promote quality school health services throughout the Commonwealth. The creation of the dangerous edibles market is a major component of Question 4. Edibles include highly potent THC-infused cookies, candies and sodas. These products will be marketed and sold in Massachusetts under Question 4, and some reports have them already accounting for nearly 50% of the marijuana sales in Colorado. Children’s Hospital Denver has reported an increase in children being treated in their emergency room for accidental ingestion since legalization.