NEWTON TAB ENDORSEMENT ON BALLOT QUESTION

Yes on Question 4 Also on the ballot in Newton is Question 4 which
asks, "Shall the state senator from this district be instructed to
vote in favor of legislation that would allow the state to regulate
the taxation, cultivation, and sale of marijuana to adults?" While
this is not a cut-and-dried issue, the TAB recommends a yes vote to
this nonbinding question.

The Massachusetts Legislature has for many years refused to even
discuss marijuana policy. Two years ago, voters took the issue out of
the Legislature' s hands, approving the decriminalization of
marijuana. Question 2 passed with 65 percent of the vote. Now it's
time to take the issue to its next logical step: legalization.

The majority of people in the U.S. under the age of 65 have smoked pot
at least once, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Adults
who want to buy marijuana to use socially know where to buy it. Rather
than turning a blind eye while they dump their hard-earned money into
the pockets of a black market that encourages local violence, the
state should heavily tax marijuana and use the proceeds for public
safety or any number of government services. The implications of
legalizing a non-harmful drug like marijuana should be studied. We
have not yet solved drug violence by prohibiting drugs. We have no
reason to believe that continuing the same behavior will produce
different results.