MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE FILED IN MASS.

Group Petitions to Get Binding Referendum on Ballot For
Legalization

Voters in several area communities strongly endorsed non-binding
resolutions last fall supporting the legalization of medical uses of
marijuana.

Next year, they might get a chance to vote for real.

A group calling itself Massachusetts Patients Advocacy Alliance has
petitioned to get a binding referendum on the ballot legalizing
medical marijuana.

Whitney Taylor, a spokeswoman for the group, said the votes in places
like Attleboro and North Attleboro last year reaffirmed the strong
support for medical marijuana that shows up in public opinion polls.

"People want patients and doctors to have all options open to them,"
she said. "This is not a liberal or conservative position. It is not
pro or con law enforcement." Taylor said the group prefers to have the
issue dealt with by the Legislature and said progress has been made on
a bill sponsored by Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst.

The referendum route, however, should be explored in case Beacon Hill
fails to act next year before the legislative session ends, she said.

Making marijuana available through non-profit organizations with a
doctor's prescription is "about compassion," she said.

For some seriously ill patients, marijuana might work better than
traditional medicines in easing the nausea that comes with
chemotherapy, the muscles spasms that come with multiple sclerosis or
the pain with a number of other ailments, she said.

Medical marijuana referendums were put on the ballot last year in 18
communities, including Attleboro, North Attleboro, Mansfield, Norfolk,
Norton, Plainville and Wrentham. Voters in every community voted in
favor.

Attleboro voted 5,745 to 3,689 in favor. North Attleboro voted 7,299
to 4,768 in favor. The referendums were advisory in nature, designed
to inform local legislators how citizens would like them to vote on
the issue.

Organizers from the Cannabis Reform Coalition said they picked the
Attleboro area communities to show the issue had support in
conservative areas.

Some area legislators, such as state Rep. Steven Howitt, R-Seekonk,
said they are in favor, but others, such as state Rep. George Ross,
R-Attleboro, said they were opposed.

The Patients Advocacy Alliance was just one of 21 groups to file with
the state Attorney General's Office to start the process of getting on
the November 2012 ballot. The groups will now have to collect almost
69,000 voter signatures to qualify.