To the editor: Last March, I wrote Congressman Seth Moulton asking him to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 975, the "Respect State Marijuana Laws Act." He responded that, "The federal government ought to respect the will of the voters in states like Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington that have approved marijuana legalization." Yet, instead of signing on as a co-sponsor, he chooses to leave federal enforcement up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr. Sessions understands the proper roles of Congress and his office. He stated at his confirmation hearing, "I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state and the distribution of it an illegal act. If that's something that's not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It is not the attorney general's job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able." By "able" he is referring to budgetary constraints of attempting to enforce federal prohibition of a plant that grows in every state. Mr. Moulton, leaders lead. Get off the fence and sponsor the legislation. Steven S. Epstein West Street Georgetown [end]
SEABROOK -- Two overdoses within 30 minutes of each other Friday morning indicate the heroin epidemic isn't letting up. Seabrook's firefighters responded and were able to save both lives, according to Seabrook police Acting Sgt. Kevin Gelineau. The situation spotlights what's still happening every week in town, in spite of prevention efforts mounted by police, the courts, advocates, the media and others. On Friday, one overdose took place in a private residence, but the other was all too public. The victim was in a car on Route 1, when family members realized there was a problem, pulled over and called for help, said Gelineau, who believes the drug involved in both cases was heroin. [continues 276 words]
To the editor: Instead of editorializing that the "Legislature should put priority on fixing new marijuana law," I would urge the Legislature to prioritize replacement of the state's prohibition that never should have been with a law that treats the plant and its products like any other agricultural commodity, punishing only the selling or gifting of marijuana to children. When I say any other agricultural commodity think herbs like thyme sold by weight, on scales certified accurate by the Sealer of Weights and Measures, and subject to the warranty of merchantability. Of course, the profits of those engaged in the commerce of cannabis would be subject to income taxation and the activities of that commerce take place in a manner in accordance with other generally applicable law. [continues 181 words]
The new edition of the Massachusetts Legislature has been seated. Now, it is time to act, particularly on those matters approved by voters in the recent election. The new Legislature includes returning Merrimack Valley Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, whose district includes Newbury, Rowley, Groveland and Georgetown, and newcomer Kathleen O'Connor Ives, D-Newburyport. On the House side, newly elected representative Leonard Mirra, R-West Newbury, takes a seat along with local incumbents. Their agenda in the days ahead will likely be a lively one, between new concerns over budgeting, revenue streams, local aid issues and other bills awaiting renewed action. [continues 382 words]
Voters in the Nov. 6 election face an unusually broad swath of political contests and ballot questions. After reviewing the three statewide ballot questions - questions 1, 2 and 3 - we support passage of all three. Our philosophy on ballot questions is that adults should be allowed to make reasonable decisions that affect their health and life. We feel that all three questions tackle difficult and timely issues that society has grappled with, and that lawmakers have generally seen fit to steer clear of. [continues 146 words]
To the editor: Regarding John Burciaga's thoughtful April 18 op-ed, the drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2010, there were 853,839 marijuana arrests in the United States, almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. [continues 84 words]
Local school officials invaded our children's privacy using police powers in their zeal to address use of marijuana like local vigilantes. And what did they find? Zip, zilch, zero, nada. The joke is on them and on their silly Keystone Kops operation. As for the rest of us citizens, are we all dead from the neck up? Where is the outrage? This terrible precedent will come back to haunt us all. Some young people want what our grandparents fought and broke the law for almost a century ago: the right to their own drug of choice, and for which we now have a liquor store on every corner. [continues 605 words]
To the editor: After reading the column from Newburyport's school nurses regarding marijuana, and the story a few weeks back about the Sparhawk School students who visited Granada in Nicaragua, I, as someone who loves Central America, felt compelled to respond. First, the letter from the nurses. I not only disagree with their calls for a local ordinance to impose harsher local penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana, I would argue it is time to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all drugs and to even legalize them completely, with the FDA determining their potency, controlling how they are distributed and sold, and taxing the heck out of them. [continues 396 words]
To the editor: I agree with Mr. Cook ("Decriminalizing drugs the only answer, March 6") that it is "time to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all drugs and to even legalize them completely." However, the individual states, not the FDA, should determine their potency and control how they are distributed and sold in each state. As for taxes, as with alcoholic beverages and tobacco, both the state and federal authorities may claim a cut, but the combined cut must be set at a level lower than "taxing the heck out of them" if the evils of the black market are to disappear. Steven S. Epstein Georgetown [end]
School Leaders, Parents Call On Community To Address Problem NEWBURYPORT -- It's a sobering statistic: Approximately 33 percent of Newburyport High School students admit they smoke marijuana, according to a report to be made public later this month by the Beacon Coalition and Newburyport Youth Services. But the findings of the anonymous student survey conducted earlier this year may not surprise some parents and school leaders who are grappling with the knowledge that marijuana has become commonplace within the Newburyport school district. [continues 1029 words]
There is a big difference between condoning marijuana use and protecting children from drugs. Decriminalization as approved by Massachusetts voters in 2008 acknowledges the social reality of marijuana and frees users from the stigma of life-shattering criminal records. What's really needed is a regulated market with enforceable age controls. Separating the hard and soft drug markets is critical. As long as organized crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition. [continues 79 words]
The Newburyport public school nurses are asking city councilors to vote in support of the new marijuana ordinance introduced by City Councilor Brian Derrivan. District nurses are concerned about the health and safety of our community residents and especially our youth. The new Massachusetts law decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, but it is still illegal. Unfortunately, our students have misinterpreted this law and think that marijuana is now legal. Many students also seem to think that using marijuana is "no big deal" and "safe." In truth, there are health and safety risks to using marijuana: [continues 522 words]
Doesn't it take a certain kind of politician (Councilor sees need to make marijuana penalty harsher, Jan. 12) to ignore the will of voters? The voters said they wanted to ease up on cannabis (marijuana) prohibition. The country is talking about RE-legalizing the relatively safe, extremely popular God-given plant (see the first page of the Bible) and Brian Derrivan wants to get all draconian. Keeping young people away from cannabis is commendable, but punishing responsible adults is the wrong way to do it. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
NEWBURYPORT - Sometimes a measure proposed in the chambers of the City Council can serve an educational purpose as well as a political one. Brian Derrivan, a member of the council's Public Safety Committee, recently introduced an initiative to stiffen local penalties for possession of marijuana. His proposal is still in committee, and, thus, no definitive language has been finalized, but under the initial proposal, a fine for possession in Newburyport would be increased to $300. Since a statewide vote in 2008, possession of less than an ounce is a civil violation subject to a $100 fine if the individual is over the age of 18. If the person is under the age of 18, he or she must also perform 10 hours of community service and enroll in an anti-drug abuse program. [continues 456 words]
All applicants for welfare programs in Massachusetts would have to pass a drug test before receiving public assistance, under a reform bill being developed by state Sen. Steven Baddour. Welfare recipients would also be barred from using their government-issued Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards at liquor stores or anywhere outside the state. Baddour is also pursuing a photo identification requirement for all EBT cards and a cap on the amount of money that can be taken out using the cards in a 24-hour period. [continues 661 words]
13 Students Faced Discipline for Marijuana NEWBURYPORT -- Newburyport High School is following a statewide trend that's seeing drug use on the rise at secondary schools, officials say. Superintendent Marc Kerble said that since September, officials have conducted 13 student expulsion hearings primarily related to the use or possession of marijuana. "This should be a concern of not only the School Committee, but a concern of the community," Kerble said at a meeting last night. Kerble did not have figures readily available on how many hearings resulted in actual expulsion from school, but he spoke of the personal side of the statistic. [continues 559 words]
To the editor: I'm writing about Albert "Max" Abramson's outstanding letter: "The insane war on drugs" (July 11). The so-called war on drugs is a huge industry and huge bureaucracy. Victory in the drug war is not possible, nor is it the goal. Victory in the drug war would mean that the drug war industry and bureaucracy are out of business. There are basically two types of people who support the so-called war on drugs: Those who make their livelihood from it. This includes politicians and bureaucrats who are probably on the payroll of the drug cartels. (Al Capone had hundreds of politicians and prohibition officials on his payroll.) [continues 112 words]
To the editor: "Should a SWAT team break down your door at 3 o'clock in the morning and shove a shotgun in your face while they tear your home apart and put your family's life in danger, looking for evidence that you might be hurting yourself?" In 10 years of asking this question, I have yet to hear an affirmative response. For over four decades, an insane war on drugs has been waged -- not on cocaine, heroin or marijuana -- but on the people of this nation. Inner cities have been turned into war zones, young men have been imprisoned and gang-raped by AIDS-infected inmates and respect for the rule of law has been all but completely destroyed in the eyes of the young. [continues 204 words]
GEORGETOWN -- The Massachusetts Cannabis Convention resolved that "noncommercial cultivation for personal use is a human right and is not to be taxed" at a meeting in Georgetown last weekend. More than 50 marijuana reform activists from around the state attended the convention called by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (Mass Cann), a state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Before the resolution, those in attendance exchanged ideas on advancing marijuana law reform. Terry Franklin of Amherst spoke about FreedomBusCaravan,org, an activist plan for the presidential primary season in New Hampshire. [continues 150 words]
To the editor: I'm writing about the not-so-thoughtful column from Michael Cook: "Blood on the hands of drug users" (Jan. 27). Caffeine is a drug, yet we have absolutely no crime related to it. Why? Because it is legal. Nicotine is a drug, yet we have almost no crime related to it. Why? Because it is legal. If we were to criminalize either of these products, the situation would soon change. Kirk Muse Mesa, Ariz. [end]
