Medical Marijuana Question Passes |
Posted by CN Staff on November 16, 2006 at 07:50:52 PT By Ben Aaronson, Staff Writer Source: Bedford Minuteman Massachusetts -- Supporters of Question 4 on last week's election ballot gave new meaning to the concept of grassroots campaigning. Nearly 70 percent of Bedford voters cast their ballots in favor of the nonbinding initiative, which calls for legislation that would allow seriously ill patients to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for medical use. The Public Policy Question appeared on ballots in the nine communities that make up the 3rd Middlesex Senatorial District, represented by Sen. Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln, who heads the Joint Committee on Public Health. The ballot initiative also appeared in parts of Milton and Randolph, which comprise the 7th Norfolk Representative District, represented by Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry. The question was passed in all 11 communities by an average margin of 67 percent. Bill Downing, director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition (MASS CANN), said the showing of public support did not surprise him. According to Downing, more than 110 communities across the state have voted in favor of various marijuana reform questions since 2000. "The election results matched exactly with the results we've been seeing on all of our ballot questions in the past. Almost half the state has voted on these issues now," said Downing. MASS CANN, the state affiliate of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), worked directly with the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts, which sponsored two marijuana-related ballot questions in this year's elections, Downing said. A question regarding the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana appeared on ballots in the 1st and 12th Plymouth Representative Districts, passing by a margin of 61 and 60 percent, respectively. Downing said he is hopeful the passing of the nonbinding initiative at the polls will soon translate into the passing of binding legislation at the State House. Downing said previous marijuana reform bills have been tied up in committee and never reached the House or Senate floors, but that pressure is building on legislators to act on what seems to be a public mandate. "Politicians are reticent to take stands on issues unless they have to. The goal of these ballot initiatives was to force the politicians to take a stand and represent their constituents," Downing said. While legislators have largely ignored past proposals for the decriminalization of marijuana, Downing said MASS CANN and other marijuana reform groups have had some success in pushing medical marijuana bills. In 1993, then Gov. Bill Weld signed a bill establishing a state therapeutic research program to perform studies on the medicinal benefits of marijuana, Downing said. The program never got off the ground, however, as the federal Drug Enforcement Agency refused to supply marijuana to the state Department of Public Health, he said. This year's ballot question supports legislation that would circumvent the DEA supply ban by allowing medical marijuana patients to grow small amounts of the drug for personal use, Downing said. According to the American Medical Association, the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), may have medical applications in treating many diseases. According to the AMA, studies have shown that THC may be effective in reducing malnutrition and weight loss in HIV/AIDS patients, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients, intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients, and spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis and other movement disorders. Source: Bedford Minuteman (Concord, MA) MassCann CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archives Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
Comment #1 posted by unkat27 on November 16, 2006 at 15:08:25 PT |
I live in Mass-state and i can tell you this kind of BS has been going on for over a decade now. An overwhelming majority of Mas citizens have been voting in favor of decrim and medical mj for all these years and the state congress and law enforcement department has been completely ignoring it, for the most part. Nonbinding? Why should a majority democratic vote by the people be "nonbinding"? Because the Mass-state is run by federalist ass-kisssers, that's why, and they don't give a dman about no democratic people's vote on anything, unless it agrees with their federalist ass-kissing agenda. It will continue to be BS business as usual for Mass, despite the dems taking congress, because they will always have more important matters to address and mj will continue to be treated as a nonissue by their plutocratic ilk. [ Post Comment ] |
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