Organizers of a referendum campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Massachusetts accused Walpole's police chief on Thursday of veering into political advocacy by speaking at a campaign event organized by opponents of the November ballot measure.

Chief John Carmichael, who has been an outspoken advocate about the dangers of substance abuse, participated in the June 23 event in Framingham to detail what he said were public safety concerns about the dangers of edible products derived from marijuana.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol said it filed a complaint to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance arguing that Carmichael should not have come to the event in uniform during work hours, and should not have used his departmental car to get there.

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