MARIJUANA QUESTIONS ON SOME LOCAL BALLOTS

Advocates Would Legalize Use for Medical Purposes

QUINCY -- Five South Shore communities are among 73 Massachusetts
cities and towns where voters will find public policy questions about
marijuana on the November ballot.

Question 5 on the ballots in Carver, Hingham, Hull, and Scituate's
Precinct 3 and Question 4 in Cohasset address marijuana use for
medical purposes. Voters will be asked if they want to instruct their
state representative to vote for legislation that would allow
patients or their caregivers with a doctor's written recommendation
to possess and grow marijuana.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, which is the local
branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws,
is behind the ballot questions that appear in 18 representative
districts across the state.

State representatives in these districts may serve on or chair
committees that would consider marijuana legislation.

"We're targeting people who have the power either to kill or will
these bills," William Downing, a coalition director said.

"We've been working on medical marijuana for many years, over 20, and
we've had legislation that has failed year after year after year due
to our recalcitrant Legislature," he said.

"Everybody out there knows someone or has a relative suffering from
cancer or some other horribly debilitating disease. If their doctor
recommends they try marijuana, would you want to see your relative on
the streets buying marijuana from a drug dealer?" Downing said.

While it does not appear locally, a ballot question in a number of
other communities asks if voters want to instruct their
representatives to vote in favor of bills that would legalize
marijuana by allowing the state to regulate its cultivation and sale
to adults and to tax it.

In 2008, voters passed a ballot initiative that replaced criminal
penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana with a $100 fine.