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Many of you, like other Massachusetts residents, may be wondering what has been going on with the process of the legalization of recreational marijuana use since voting for (or against) it last November. While there are many reasons for this slow process, there also have been several initiatives and actions taken by organizations in attempts to get it going.
Many of you, like other Massachusetts residents, may be wondering what has been going on with the process of the legalization of recreational marijuana use since voting for (or against) it last November. While there are many reasons for this slow process, there also have been several initiatives and actions taken by organizations in attempts to get it going.
One of the reasons, believed by many, why there haven’t been
many actions taken by the state is because no influential people have come out
in support of the marijuana industry, such as Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and
Governor Charlie Baker, despite being voted in by a state/city where the
majority of the people voted for it (54% voted yes). This is the idea that if the industry was
supported by a major influential politician from the state, then it may
influence and expedite the legalization process. Many people voted for the legalization of use and sale because they think it will benefit the state’s economy, which is something politicians definitely take interest in. A quote by Jim Borghesani, a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy, “we’re not asking anybody to be a cheerleader, we’re just saying that they should recognize that we’re taking profits away from criminals and putting it in the hands of legitimate business people who pay taxes and who check IDs”. This perspective isn’t just for generating revenue for the state but also to make it safer for consumers to purchase marijuana.
A positive step forward taken by the state was the
establishment of the Cannabis Control Commission, which is the organization
that is responsible for putting forth the laws and regulations of legalizing
the marijuana industry in MA. The
regulations are going to be the first piece of legislature in governing the
legal use of marijuana, which is one of the reasons why it is taking so long to
put together.
The Cannabis Control Commission holds week-long public
hearings to notify the public and inform people on the laws regarding use,
sales, enforcement, etc., the hearings are all over the state.
I encourage you to check out their website listed below,
this blog will keep you updated weekly on what is going on with the
organization.
Cannabis Control Commission: https://mass-cannabis-control.com/
Reference: Racoosin, Jen (26 Nov. 2017) Recreational Marijuana Legislation Faces Obstacles in Massachusetts Retrieved on 27 Feb. 2018: https://dailyfreepress.com/blog/2017/11/26/recreational-marijuana-legislation-faces-obstacles-in-massachusetts/
This is a great blog! Really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion another reason to why this process has been taking so long is because not a lot of people have been demanding marijuana to be legal, in the sense that people are not coming together to help push forth the legalization of it. But what I like about this blog is how giving people your side of this and what you think on legalizing marijuana. But also what is being done so that it can get to the point where marijuana is 100% legal.
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