As another Freedom Rally passes, we turn our sights to the coming year, hoping for further successes in Massachusetts and abroad.
Here’s some things to hope for:
Bills were introduced in the Rhode Island legislature to legalize marijuana in the past session. The session adjourned without action on the bills, but they have significant sponsorship. If Rhode Island voted to legalize, dope could be an easy drive or commuter-rail ride away. And since legalizing pot causes a price drop, prices would probably fall in neighboring states. Bad news for medical-marijuana dispensary owners, but good news for the smoking public.
Alaska may run a citizens’ initiative ballot question to legalize in 2014.
The MassCann Caregivers’ Fund is receiving donations to mount a suit against the Department of Public Health and the regulations it has made blocking patient access by requiring each patient who needs marijuana grown to find a separate grower.
On the other hand, maybe sometime in 2014 some actual dispensaries will open. The Globe reports that some 150 applicants have passed an initial test; eventually 35 licenses will be given out.
We can petition the Legislature to pass additional legislation in support of medical marijuana, things like job protection and tenancy protection and protection against child removal for medical marijuana users.
We can continue to raise money for a citizens’ initiative in Massachusetts in 2016. Perhaps when the next president is in office, we’ll have an alternative to going apple-picking in the fall…