Pubdate: Wed, 14 Nov 2012
Source: Eagle-Tribune, The (MA)
Copyright: 2012 The Eagle-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.eagletribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/129
Author: Steven S. Epstein

VOTE SHOWS PEOPLE WANT END TO MARIJUANA PROHIBITION

To the editor: Regarding your story =C3=A2=C2=80=C2=9CPot votes in Colora
do,
Washington raise specter of weed tourism=C3=A2=C2=80=C2=9D (Nov. 10), it 
is
inevitable that the end of cannabis prohibition will soon come to
Massachusetts. The proof is in the Election Day poll of the 142,652
voters in the 8th Essex House, 22nd Middlesex House and the 1st Essex
and Middlesex Senate District, all within the 6th Congressional
District. Of these voters, slightly over 54 percent want Congress to
repeal the federal prohibition on marijuana.

Only 32.5 percent opposed repeal and some 13 percent had no opinion or
refused to answer by blanking the ballot. These numbers demonstrate
that the voters of the 6th Congressional District and by reasonable
inference all Massachusetts voters reject the prohibition that never
should have been. They also suggest three questions: The first is will
Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, and
state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, and the eight representatives
with whom Sen. Tarr shares at least one precinct sponsor the
resolution and work to get it passed by both chambers of the General
Court? The second is will Congressman John Tierney, who squeaked by
with a plurality of the vote, become a sponsor in the next session of
Congress of legislation that will end the prohibition? I=C3=A2=C2=80=C2=99
ve already
asked him yet again and await his reply.

The third is will the General Court and the governor get out front on
ending the prohibition here in Massachusetts by passing legislation
establishing constitutional cannabis control before the people do it
for ourselves, as we did with Question 2 in 2008 and Question 3 this
year? Steven S. Epstein Georgetown
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MAP posted-by: Matt