Marijuana shops opt out ballot & ATM questions

Posted on March 3, 2017 | 1 Comment

Both our town election on 3/27 and our annual town meeting (ATM) on April 24 we will be voting to determine whether Medfield should allow or ban marijuana stores.

The following materials were put together by residents Carol Read, a Public Health/Prevention Specialist, and Cathy Callaghan, a Nurse Practitioner, both with lots on knowledge about the issues.

I will personally be voting to ban marijuana businesses from our town, as pot shops downtown or anywhere in town would send the wrong message to our children, namely that use by them is OK.  The data is too clear as to the damage that marijuana use does to our children, by increasing their risks of problems later in life.  Adolescent brains are not fully formed until their mid-twenties, and we owe it to our children to give them as much protection until then as we can.

Vote YES on March 27th to STOP POT SHOPS in Medfield What does the new law really mean? Last November, Massachusetts voters approved the Recreational use of marijuana law (Question 4) that legalized adult (21 years and older) personal use, possession and growing of marijuana for recreational purposes. Medical use of marijuana is a separate law*. In addition to legalizing adult personal use The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (Chapter 334 of the Acts of 2016) also legalized all marijuana related businesses in 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth automatically. What are “marijuana businesses”? Pot shops: Shops sell smoke-able plant marijuana products, edible products including candy, brownies, cookies and sodas with highly potent THC levels. Commercial growing and production sites: Staff grows hundreds of marijuana plants, extract THC oils from the plants to make highly potent THC smoke-able products and use oils to make edible products including candy, cookies, and brownies. Does Medfield have to allow pot shops and grow sites? Although Medfield was one of 90 towns in the Commonwealth that voted against the law our town will very soon be “open” to pot shops unless we vote to “opt-out”. The Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group that writes marijuana ballot questions nationwide specifically put an “opt-out” provision in our law requiring the expensive and time consuming steps of an “opt- out” by the voters. Medfield residents CAN vote to “opt- out” The Medfield BOS unanimously voted to prohibit marijuana businesses by adding an “opt-out” question to the town election ballot on March 27th and added “opt-out” warrant articles that will prohibit marijuana businesses for Town Meeting on April 24th. Voting YES to “opt-out” at the town election and at town meeting will STOP POT SHOPS in Medfield. Vote YES to STOP POT SHOPS for youth health and safety: Keeping pot shops out of Medfield will prevent youth access to highly potent marijuana candy, brownies and cookies and sodas that are packaged to attract youth. Edible products make up nearly 60% of Colorado’s marijuana industry; emergency departments are routinely treating children who have ingested edible products with 90 + % THC levels (compared to 20% in a typical joint) Vote YES to STOP POT SHOPS to prevent youth use increases: Youth marijuana use in Washington State has risen since legalization among 8th and 10th graders; Colorado past- month (30 day) marijuana use rates among the population ages 12 and older are the highest in the nation. Youth in legalized recreational states report significant declines in their perception of harm from using marijuana. Vote YES to STOP POT SHOPS to protect our services and resources: Pot shops and grow sites require extensive inspection of operational security as well as testing of all products for mold and contaminates. The cost of these requirements would outrun the potential revenue Medfield would take in from marijuana businesses. Vote YES to STOP POT SHOPS will prevent our public safety and health inspection resources being shifted to the security, monitoring and inspection of marijuana businesses. Vote YES to STOP POT SHOPS to preserve Medfield’s character. Medfield places the highest value on our family friendly culture, working hard to support our town services and schools and to preserve open space, protect the health of our senior population and promote businesses that align with these goals. Many of our neighboring communities Westwood, Norwood and Walpole are also voting to “opt-out” of marijuana businesses. Will the “opt-out” change adult personal use? Voting YES to “opt-out” of pot shops will NOT change adult person use. As of December 15th recreational personal use, possession and home growing is legal in Medfield for anyone 21 years and older. It is legal in Medfield to: (1) Grow up to 12 marijuana plants in a home (6 plants per adult) (2) Possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana (about 600 joints) in a home. (2) Personally possess and transport 1 ounce of marijuana (about 60-75 joints) (3) Give away up to 1 ounce of smoked marijuana, including 5 grams of marijuana concentrate (oils) which are used to make brownies, cookies and candy. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this information. Carol Read, Public Health/Prevention Specialist and Cathy Callaghan, Nurse Practitioner *This new law follows the voter approved the Medical use of marijuana law in 2012 which legalized the medical use of marijuana for all age residents with a doctor recommendation.20170303-cr-medfield-opt-out-letter-3-3-2017-with-photos_page_2

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One response to “Marijuana shops opt out ballot & ATM questions”

  1. Jessica Reilly's avatar Jessica Reilly | March 3, 2017 at 4:49 pm |

    Thanks Pete for distributing this!

    Like