Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Advocates Urge Towns to Allow Regulated Businesses, Follow Marshfield Example
A supporter holds up a "Yes on 4" sign at the 2016 Boston Freedom Rally (Scott Gacek/The Daily Chronic)
BOSTON, MA Towns passing legal cannabis bans and moratoriums are guaranteeing continued market control by criminals and street dealers, the group behind the legalization measurepassed by voters last November said today.
The group praised Marshfield voters for rejecting a measure at a town meeting yesterday that would have banned marijuana retail facilities in the town.
Very simply, if cannabis isnt sold by regulated and taxed retailers, it will continue to be sold by criminals who dont check IDs and dont care about the safety of their product, said Jim Borghesani, Massachusetts spokesman for the Marijuana Policy Project and former communications director for the Yes on 4 campaign. Marshfield voters made a responsible decision yesterday to make sure their town takes commerce away from street dealers and puts significant new tax dollars in the town coffers.
Borghesani added that the legislatures decision to change the law passed by voters made it easier to ban marijuana businesses without a clear mandate from local residents.
While we accepted the overall legislative compromise this past summer, we believe it was a mistake to create two classes of municipalities in the state when it comes to ...
