VOTERS IN SEVEN TOWNS WANT LESSER MARIJUANA PENALTIES

Voters in seven North Shore communities voted in favor of treating
marijuana possession like a traffic ticket, in a nonbinding ballot
question yesterday. This question, placed on the ballot by the
Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, asked if voters want
marijuana violations treated with civil rather than criminal
penalties. The vote was nonbinding, meaning the measure does not
become law but is used by special-interest groups to help introduce
legislation.

The question passed in Beverly (14,989 to 2,588), Danvers (7,539 to
4,867), Peabody (13,644 to 8,671), Salem (10,810 to 5,341), Topsfield
(2,127 to 1,349), Marblehead (7,385 to 3,702) and Swampscott (4,850
to 2,213).