The idea that marijuana should be legal for citizens with chronic illnesses was overwhelmingly approved by Massachusetts voters on Election Day - that was the easy part. But nobody is really sure what happens next. "There are a tremendous amount of questions," said Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, a staunch opponent of the law. The vaguely worded ballot question, which passed by a near 2-1 margin, makes it legal for citizens with a doctor's note to purchase and consume marijuana for medical treatment. Only two communities in the state, Lawrence and Mendon, voted against the measure. [continues 968 words]
Should marijuana use be legal in Massachusetts? That polarizing question will be posed on the November ballot in Salem, Marblehead and Swampscott. Voters in about two dozen other communities will weigh in on similar proposals to legalize and tax marijuana. Even if it passes, however, don't expect pot laws in those towns and cities to change. "This will do nothing," admitted attorney Steven Epstein, the founder of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition. "This is non-binding. It is an opinion poll. ... That's all it is." [continues 1048 words]
