Pubdate: Fri, 25 Jan 2013
Source: Enterprise, The (MA)
Copyright: 2013 GateHouse Media Inc.
Contact:  http://www.enterprisenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3231

DELAY MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW

The voters have spoken. They passed a medical marijuana law in 
Massachusetts last fall by a nearly 2-1 margin, and any attempt to 
overturn the law should be viewed with skepticism. But that doesn't 
mean it shouldn't be delayed until the state and communities are 
thoroughly prepared to deal with a law that has numerous flaws.

It makes sense to get this right. Also, possession of marijuana is 
still a federal crime, even though the Justice Department hasn't gone 
after recreational users in decades. They don't have the resources. 
Just last month, President Obama said the federal government won't go 
after smokers in some states that have legalized marijuana use.

So we support a bill by state Sen. John Keenan, whose district 
includes Abington and Rockland, that would delay implementation of 
the law for nine months, increase monitoring of marijuana use and 
generally tighten up loopholes in a law that Keenan and others say is 
flawed  no matter what voters think.

The state Department of Public Health has until May 1 to write 
regulations to cover medical marijuana, mostly used to ease pain. The 
DPH will oversee the registration of patients and who can grow and 
sell the marijuana. That is a significant task for a department that 
already is knee-deep in issues such as the tainted Framingham 
pharmacy problem and state crime lab scandal.

State officials should be given more time to see how the law is 
working in other states, notably California, which has been overrun 
by lawsuits over the issue and has 1,000 marijuana centers. The 
Massachusetts law limits the number to 35, but just in the first 
year. It is reasonable to believe this number will increase.

Officials in Brockton and area towns are scrambling to put zoning 
regulations into place because the city is likely to end up with at 
least one marijuana facility.

Local communities have the right and responsibility to decide where 
the shops can be located. Some Brockton officials have sought to have 
them located in hospital zones, which makes sense, and keep them away 
from schools and playgrounds, which also makes sense.

No serious harm will come from delaying the creation of an entire new 
industry for this state that Washington still views as illegal.

Massachusetts should implement the law - voters said so - but delay 
it nine months. It is imperative that this is done properly and without haste.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom