SEEKING CANDIDATES' VIEWS ON MARIJUANA

To the editor:

I attended the senatorial candidate forum, "US candidates appear at
North Andover forum," Oct. 19. I went because an earlier story
publicizing the event led me to believe the candidates would be
answering questions from the audience, albeit screened.

The screening process resulted in questions that might provide the
candidates an opportunity to distinguish themselves substantively
going unasked.

My question was: "Explain your position on the reform of federal
marijuana policy as to its use as a medicine, hemp and
recreationally." This question is relevant because their positions on
pot present their understanding of the role of a senator.

This question was certainly newsworthy on the day Taylor Armerding's
column, "Treat pot like gambling, all that matters is the money" was
published. It became more so with the Justice Department's
announcement that it will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users
and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, "Feds plan to
issue new medical marijuana policy," Oct. 20.

Money, while important, is not all that matters. What also matters is
that our laws comply with the federal and state constitutions; both
suppose the consent of the governed. The vote on Question 2
annihilated the notion that prohibition backed by criminal sanction
had such consent. The vote on Question 2 and the rampant civil
disobedience to the law -- more than 10 percent of Massachusetts
voters consumed it last month -- establish there is not consent here
for the prohibition of its commerce.

According to the U.S. Justice Department's medical marijuana policy
memorandum, the black market provides, "significant source of revenue
to large-scale criminal enterprises." So too did alcohol prohibition.
The only constitutional policy toward marijuana consists of
regulations and a level of taxation reasonable enough so that the
people will generally send their money to the state rather than
resorting to the black market in their pursuit of their subjective happiness.

Steven S. Epstein

Georgetown