Pubdate: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 Source: Brookline TAB (MA) Copyright: 2010 GateHouse Media, Inc. Contact: http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3502 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?261 (Cannabis - United States) BROOKLINE TAB ENDORSEMENT: YES ON QUESTION 4 Brookline - Also on the ballot in Brookline is Question 4 (Question 7 in Precinct 5) which asks, "Shall the state senator from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would allow the state to regulate the taxation, cultivation, and sale of marijuana to adults?" While this is not a cut-and-dried issue, the TAB recommends a yes vote to this nonbinding question. The Massachusetts Legislature has for many years refused to even discuss marijuana policy. Two years ago, voters took the issue out of the Legislature's hands, approving the decriminalization of marijuana. Question 2 passed with 65 percent of the vote. Now it's time to take the issue to its next logical step: legalization. The majority of people in the U.S. under the age of 65 have smoked pot at least once, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Adults who want to buy marijuana to use socially know where to buy it. Rather than turning a blind eye while they dump their hard-earned money into the pockets of a black market that encourages local violence, the state should heavily tax marijuana and use the proceeds for public safety or any number of government services. The implications of legalizing a non-harmful drug like marijuana should be studied. We have not yet solved drug violence by prohibiting drugs. We have no reason to believe that continuing the same behavior will produce different results. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake