SMOKIN'!

If you ask Steve Epstein, sooner or later someone at the State House
has to start paying attention to the public demand for the reformation
of Massachusetts' marijuana laws.

For now, Epstein is hoping the third time is the charm. Lost in the
shuffle of yet another controversial photo finish in the presidential
race was the North Shore's passage of Epstein's non-binding ballot
question seeking to decriminalize marijuana, with punishment for
possession being more like getting a traffic ticket.

As a Georgetown attorney and a longtime marijuana reform advocate,
Epstein had placed the question on ballots in the 2nd Essex Senate
and 3rd Essex and Middlesex districts, asking voters whether they'd
like their legislators to reconsider the state's marijuana laws.

This being the third time a marijuana reformation question was on a
Massachusetts ballot, Epstein hopes this will be the time legislators
put the wheels in motion.

"My prediction was pretty accurate," says Epstein. "This is the third
time we've been doing this and once again both Senate districts voted
overwhelmingly in favor."

Overwhelming indeed. In the 2nd Essex Senate District, which includes
Danvers, Peabody, Salem, Topsfield and Beverly, the question passed
by more than a 2-to-1 margin, with nearly 50,000 voting in favor and
roughly 22,000 voting against. Meanwhile, in the 3rd Essex and
Middlesex district, which includes Saugus, Marblehead, Swampscott,
Melrose, Lynn and Nahant, more than 37,000 people voted in favor with
a little more than 18,000 voting against. It remains to be seen
whether marijuana reform will become a reality in Massachusetts'
immediate future, but at the very least, Epstein likes the numbers he
saw Tuesday night.

"Any candidate would be glad to have our margin of victory," says
Epstein. "I don't know when the members of the House and Senate have
to start paying attention to this. But I was telling the Republicans
at my polling places (Tuesday) that they would do a lot better if
they would adopt my position on marijuana."

Perhaps, but considering that only two candidates actually responded
to a questionnaire that Epstein had sent out prior to the election
asking whether they would support marijuana reformation, changing the
state's policy may be easier said than done.

That said, Epstein knows the hard part may just be getting started.
"We'll be in communication (with all the legislators)," Epstein says.
"We'll be in touch with all of them about hopefully getting them to
sign on to a bill."