News (Media Awareness Project) - US MA: Pot Shot |
| Title: | US MA: Pot Shot |
| Published On: | 2010-03-28 |
| Source: | Boston Globe Magazine, The (MA) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-04-06 05:02:07 |
POT SHOT
Dick Evans, 66 and a Northampton lawyer, wrote S1801, an Act to
Regulate and Tax the Cannabis Industry in Massachusetts, currently
before the Legislature.
How would the cannabis industry be regulated, under your proposal?
It's modeled on the alcoholic beverage control law. The bill imposes
rules and regulations on cultivation, processing, and distribution of
marijuana, just as the government controls the manufacture,
distribution, and sale of alcohol.
Why should we tax and regulate marijuana? Prohibition is the single
most failed policy in our social fabric today. It's irresponsible of
us to perpetuate it, and it's stupid of us to turn our back on the
revenue prospects of a taxed and regulated market. Whether we like it
or not, marijuana has become inextricably embedded in our culture.
The bill has a long history. I first wrote it almost 30 years ago. It
was first introduced in 1981.
Does it really have a chance of passing soon? Yes, but it won't come
from the Legislature. It'll come from the voters. I think the
citizens of Massachusetts are ready for something like this and there
is strong evidence for it: In November 2008, 65 percent of voters
approved decriminalization initiative Question 2.
Some believe legalizing marijuana sends a bad message to children.
Does it? One of the most insidious problems with prohibition is that
it impedes good drug education for youngsters, because prohibition
requires dishonesty.
What's the potential economic impact of the bill? A study by
professor Jeffrey Miron at Harvard estimated a savings in law
enforcement of $120 million per year. Taxing and regulating
marijuana could bring an estimated $500 million a year in tax revenue.
What do you think might happen with marijuana laws in Massachusetts
this year? There's a possibility the medical marijuana bill will be
approved in the Legislature. I don't expect anything else. However,
depending on what happens in California and Washington this November,
there may be an initiative on the Mass. ballot in 2012 to tax and
regulate cannabis.
Dick Evans, 66 and a Northampton lawyer, wrote S1801, an Act to
Regulate and Tax the Cannabis Industry in Massachusetts, currently
before the Legislature.
How would the cannabis industry be regulated, under your proposal?
It's modeled on the alcoholic beverage control law. The bill imposes
rules and regulations on cultivation, processing, and distribution of
marijuana, just as the government controls the manufacture,
distribution, and sale of alcohol.
Why should we tax and regulate marijuana? Prohibition is the single
most failed policy in our social fabric today. It's irresponsible of
us to perpetuate it, and it's stupid of us to turn our back on the
revenue prospects of a taxed and regulated market. Whether we like it
or not, marijuana has become inextricably embedded in our culture.
The bill has a long history. I first wrote it almost 30 years ago. It
was first introduced in 1981.
Does it really have a chance of passing soon? Yes, but it won't come
from the Legislature. It'll come from the voters. I think the
citizens of Massachusetts are ready for something like this and there
is strong evidence for it: In November 2008, 65 percent of voters
approved decriminalization initiative Question 2.
Some believe legalizing marijuana sends a bad message to children.
Does it? One of the most insidious problems with prohibition is that
it impedes good drug education for youngsters, because prohibition
requires dishonesty.
What's the potential economic impact of the bill? A study by
professor Jeffrey Miron at Harvard estimated a savings in law
enforcement of $120 million per year. Taxing and regulating
marijuana could bring an estimated $500 million a year in tax revenue.
What do you think might happen with marijuana laws in Massachusetts
this year? There's a possibility the medical marijuana bill will be
approved in the Legislature. I don't expect anything else. However,
depending on what happens in California and Washington this November,
there may be an initiative on the Mass. ballot in 2012 to tax and
regulate cannabis.
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
