Thursday, May 9, 2013
LowellSun.com reports new regulations will go into effect May 24.
New rules for the medical use of marijuana have been written into the commonwealth's regulatory code by the Massachusetts Public Health Council Wednesday, according to State House News Service report published on LowellSun.com. Among the new regulations are how much marijuana can be generally used by patients, the licensing procedure for medical marijuana dispensaries and how low-income patients can get access, according to the report. These regulations will go into effect May 24, according to the Sun. In November, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana as part of a treatment. Under the law, the state was operating under a 120-day window starting Jan. 1 for creating regulations for …
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Town Meeting unanimously approved a 17-month moratorium on any applications for medical marijuana dispensaries in town.
Burlington Town Meeting voted unanimously last night to approve a moratorium, put forward by the Planning Board, on medical marijuana dispensaries in town. The moratorium would prohibit any application for a marijuana dispensary until June 30 of 2014. The rational for the moratorium, explained Planning Director Kirsten Kassner, was to give the town time to come up with regulations and to give the State Department of Public Health time to provide its regulations and recommendations. According to the law, which was passed as a ballot initiative during the Nov. 6, 2012 election, the Department of Public Health has 120 days to come up with regulations on the state level. The Planning Board recommended a moratorium, rather than a prohibition, …
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
The Planning Board voted last week to recommend that Town Meeting approve a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries until June 30, 2014.
The Burlington Planning Board voted unanimously during last Thursday's meeting to recommend that Town Meeting approve a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensary applications until June 30, 2014. The next Town Meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28. The warrant article was put forward by the board to give the town more time to figure out what restrictions can legally be placed on the dispensaries. It will also give town officials time to better asses the public's will when it comes to medical marijuana sales in town. The moratorium was originally suggested by member Paul Raymond, who said he thought it was important that the town have more time to react to the new law allowing marijuana dispensaries, which was passed as a ballot measure in the …
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Do you think town officials should work to to block medical marijuana dispensaries in town?
Updated Dec. 11, 12:31 p.m. Patch has learned that the Planning Board discussed a moratorium on applications for marijuana dispensaries but did not actually take a vote, as stated in the story below. The measure will be further discussed at an upcoming Planning Board meeting and a vote may be taken at that time. Original story: The Board of Selectmen discussed what, if anything, the board should do in response to the passage of Massachusetts legalization of medical marijuana during the meeting last night. The passage of ballot question 3 allows for medical marijuana dispensaries, up to five in each Massachusetts county. The new law goes into effect January 1, but requires rules and regulations be set up by the Department of Public Health. …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Town administrator says officials will look into the particulars of the new law to "understand what we're facing."
With the passage of Question 3 on Tuesday, cities and towns are left to set regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. Voters approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes, as prescribed by a doctor, by a 63 to 37 percent margin. With the approval comes the creation of marijuana dispensaries—"non-profit treatment centers that will grow, process and provide marijuana to patients or their caregivers," according to the Secretary of State. There are already state regulations built into Question 3, which require the dispensaries to apply and pay for a Department of Public Health registration, as well as submit operating procedures, including the mandatory storage of marijuana in locked facilities. Communities will also need to set …
The medical marijuana ballot initiative passed on Tuesday, which means up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open in 2013. Would you be OK with having one in town?
Medical marijuana is coming to Massachusetts. The question is: where? The medical marijana ballot initiative that passed in Tuesdays election with 63 percent voter approval means that up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open up in the state in 2013. The new law goes into effect January 1, but requires rules and regulations be set up by the Department of Public Health. Some towns and cities, such as Quincy, reportedly are already trying to line up regulations that would keep dispensaries out of their municipalities, which have proved troublesome in some of the nine states where medical marijuana dispensaries have been legal. What do you think? Is this a classic case of NIMBY (fine, but Not In My Back Yard)? Or do medical marijuana …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Find out what a yes or no vote on Question 3 will mean.
On Nov. 6, Massachusetts voters will be asked to vote on three questions along with the state and federal political races. Question 3 is regarding the legalization of medical marijuana. "This proposed law would eliminate state criminal and civil penalties for the medical use of marijuana by qualifying patients. To qualify, a patient must have been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition," the Massachusetts Secretary of State's website says. According to the website a "yes" vote would allow for patients to smoke marijuana if it is prescribed by a doctor. A "no" vote would make no change to the current law and keep the practice illegal. Do you support or oppose this? Tell us in the comments section below.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
A letter to the editor in opposition to 2012 Massachusetts State Ballot Question 3.
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The following is a letter to the editor by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: Dear Editor: I have been involved with educating communities about teen substance abuse and helping families torn apart by teen drug use. Ballot question 3 scares me. I am afraid for families of teenagers, Massachusetts schools, and mostly for our children. At first glance, the question appears to allow safe access of marijuana for our sick and suffering citizens. But the question is does NOT match up with the actual proposed law. Ballot Question 3 may sound compassionate, but it was written with negligence for our teens. If passed, what would the proposed law allow? Read bill H3885 for yourself. Is this proposal written for …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force is holding an informational forum on marijuana use among youths and the ballot question on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
- OPINION
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Thursday, October 4, 2012
The following is a guest column by Marilyn G. Belmonte of the Burlington Drug & Alcohol Task Force: Massachusetts’ youth smoke marijuana at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Now there is a big question on the horizon that may cause the number of Massachusetts teen marijuana smokers to rise. Ballot question 3 is stated as follows: “A yes vote would enact the proposed law eliminating state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-regulated centers or, in specific hardship cases, to grow marijuana for their own use.” We all agree that sick and suffering patients need compassionate care. But there is …
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Friday, September 28, 2012
The governor, during a live chat with Patch, expressed skepticism about the legalization of medical marijuana, though he sympathized with patients in pain.
Governor Deval Patrick said he would likely vote no on Question Three this fall. During a Thursday live chat with Patch, a reader asked Patrick how he would vote on the ballot question and whether the governor was for or against the legalization of cannabis. "I am not too energized on this issue, personally. California's experience has been mixed. I will probably vote against it. I respect the opposing view, though, especially those whose concern is for people in constant pain," wrote the governor in response. Proponents say medical marijuana will help ease the pain and suffering of cancer patients and other eligible residents. Opponents, meanwhile, say the law is a back door to full legalization, and that medical marijuana can be …
Sara A
1:03 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
I was born and bred in Burlington. This is another unfortunate mistake taken by Town Meeting members who don't know any better and/or are uninterested in their constituents; another instance of Burlington politics where the decision was taken without an official announcement of a public hearing on this topic with either the Planning Board or in the context of Town Meeting. Disappointing. The only… more ›