Group of 10 State Legislators Endorse Massachusetts Initiative to Legalize Cannabis

Group of 10 State Legislators Endorse Massachusetts Initiative to Legalize Cannabis

This November Massachusetts voters will be given the option of passing Question 4, The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, which would allow adults to possess up to 10 ounces of cannabis, cultivate up to six plants for personal use, and would establish a system of state-licensed retail outlets and cultivation centers. Now, not long after the measure officially qualified for the November ballot, a large group of state legislators have endorsed the initiative.

Those endorsing the initiative include; Senators Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and Pat Jehlen (D-Cambridge), as well as Representatives David Rogers (D-Cambridge), Marjorie C Decker (D-Cambridge), Tom Sannicandro (D-Framingham), Michael Moran (D-Brighton), Jay Livingstone (D-Boston), Brian Mannal (D-Centerville) and Mary Keefe (D-Worcester).

“Despite decades of current policy, nothing has changed and the time has long since come to take a more realistic approach”, says Representative Rogers. “By regulating and taxing the sale of marijuana in the Commonwealth we will allow law enforcement to focus on serious crimes, raise substantial revenue, and all but eliminate a dangerous black market.”

According to Representative Decker; “While one may not personally approve of marijuana use, we have a responsibility to look at its regulation in a broader context. The current rules are in stark contrast to how other legal drugs, such as alcohol, are regulated.”

He continues; “I also believe this new form of regulation will improve education of young people about all types of drug use.”

Question 4 is one of eight state-level cannabis initiatives being voted on in the U.S. this November; a list of all eight can be found by clicking here.