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Officials in several Middlesex County cities and towns are dealing with how to handle the legalization of medical marijuana.
Approximately 63 percent of voters approved ballot Question 3, which allowed the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, ALS or multiple sclerosis. Patients with these conditions will be issued a card that will allow them to carry up to a 60-day supply of marijuana.
In 2013, no more than 35 medical marijuana dispensaries will be permitted in the state, with at least one but no more than five in each county.
Officials in some towns and cities in Massachusetts are considering changing zoning laws to limit dispensaries to certain parts of town, or banning dispensaries altogether.
In Watertown, Town Council President Mark Sideris said he's not yet ready to say whether Watertown would consider a zoning law change or a ban. Instead, he said he and Director of Public Health Steven Ward agreed that Sideris should refer the issue to the Committee on Public Safety for a preliminary discussion with the Watertown police chief.
"The focus will be to be prepared if it comes," said Sideris. "Everybody can read what the voters wanted and approved. It was overwhelmingly passed. But we as a town need to be prepared for how to handle this."
In Newton, city attorneys say they started preparing for the potential impact of Question 3 well before Nov. 6. Newton City Solicitor Donnalyn Kahn and Assistant City Solicitor Marie Lawlor said the city is in a "wait and see" phase right now as the state Department of Public Health develops regulations for the law.
"The talk among a lot of cities and towns is that they are either thinking about an outright ban or limiting them to a certain district," said Lawlor. "Whether an outright ban would be permissible under zoning laws is another question. Probably, my guess is that certainly limiting them to certain districts would be permissible."
Somerville officials said they have already received calls about how to open a distribution center, said Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond.
"What I hope to do with this is just to get ahead of the curve and have the chief, the director of public health and the city solicitor start drafting the different requirements or just start doing the research," he said. "Personally I am hoping there aren't any in Somerville but what I need to find out from these folks (is) what we can and cannot do in the city."
Other communities haven't yet considered the potential effects of the ban.
Cambridge mayor Henrietta Davis said the law is too new.
"It seems premature to talk about something that hasn't happened yet," added Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung.
Waltham officials also said they haven't talked about the law.
"Nothing is in the works," said Waltham Councilor Robert Logan.
But some public safety officials have expressed concern about enforcing the law.
"This will certainly make interactions between our officers and those suspected of drug activity more complicated," said Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas. "Just because someone has a medical marijuana card doesn't mean they will use them appropriately and legally and officers will be burdened with trying to determine the difference between legal and illegal drug markets within the grey area that has now been created."
And Sideris said he wants to ensure the Watertown Police Department is prepared for the potentially ambiguous situations that the new law could create.
"We hear people talking about these different things–my friend is sick, he goes in and gets marijuana and sells it to me," said Sideris. "We just want to make sure everyone's on the same page, especially the police, because they are the ones who are enforcing it."
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: wickedlocal.com
Author: Emily Cataneo
Contact: Cambridge Chronicle & Tab Contact Us
Website: Cities, towns prepare for medical marijuana dispensaries - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle & Tab
Approximately 63 percent of voters approved ballot Question 3, which allowed the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, ALS or multiple sclerosis. Patients with these conditions will be issued a card that will allow them to carry up to a 60-day supply of marijuana.
In 2013, no more than 35 medical marijuana dispensaries will be permitted in the state, with at least one but no more than five in each county.
Officials in some towns and cities in Massachusetts are considering changing zoning laws to limit dispensaries to certain parts of town, or banning dispensaries altogether.
In Watertown, Town Council President Mark Sideris said he's not yet ready to say whether Watertown would consider a zoning law change or a ban. Instead, he said he and Director of Public Health Steven Ward agreed that Sideris should refer the issue to the Committee on Public Safety for a preliminary discussion with the Watertown police chief.
"The focus will be to be prepared if it comes," said Sideris. "Everybody can read what the voters wanted and approved. It was overwhelmingly passed. But we as a town need to be prepared for how to handle this."
In Newton, city attorneys say they started preparing for the potential impact of Question 3 well before Nov. 6. Newton City Solicitor Donnalyn Kahn and Assistant City Solicitor Marie Lawlor said the city is in a "wait and see" phase right now as the state Department of Public Health develops regulations for the law.
"The talk among a lot of cities and towns is that they are either thinking about an outright ban or limiting them to a certain district," said Lawlor. "Whether an outright ban would be permissible under zoning laws is another question. Probably, my guess is that certainly limiting them to certain districts would be permissible."
Somerville officials said they have already received calls about how to open a distribution center, said Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond.
"What I hope to do with this is just to get ahead of the curve and have the chief, the director of public health and the city solicitor start drafting the different requirements or just start doing the research," he said. "Personally I am hoping there aren't any in Somerville but what I need to find out from these folks (is) what we can and cannot do in the city."
Other communities haven't yet considered the potential effects of the ban.
Cambridge mayor Henrietta Davis said the law is too new.
"It seems premature to talk about something that hasn't happened yet," added Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung.
Waltham officials also said they haven't talked about the law.
"Nothing is in the works," said Waltham Councilor Robert Logan.
But some public safety officials have expressed concern about enforcing the law.
"This will certainly make interactions between our officers and those suspected of drug activity more complicated," said Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas. "Just because someone has a medical marijuana card doesn't mean they will use them appropriately and legally and officers will be burdened with trying to determine the difference between legal and illegal drug markets within the grey area that has now been created."
And Sideris said he wants to ensure the Watertown Police Department is prepared for the potentially ambiguous situations that the new law could create.
"We hear people talking about these different things–my friend is sick, he goes in and gets marijuana and sells it to me," said Sideris. "We just want to make sure everyone's on the same page, especially the police, because they are the ones who are enforcing it."
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: wickedlocal.com
Author: Emily Cataneo
Contact: Cambridge Chronicle & Tab Contact Us
Website: Cities, towns prepare for medical marijuana dispensaries - Cambridge, Massachusetts - Cambridge Chronicle & Tab
