Will Massachusetts legalize marijuana

Both Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Marty Walsh have made it clear that they oppose legalizing marijuana. However, there is a push to ask voters if they would be interested in legalizing marijuana for recreational use on the 2016 ballot. According to a Boston Globe poll in 2014 more than half indicated they support complete legalization of marijuana in the state.

What could the state of MA do with an additional $70 million?

This is important because there are a lot of misconceptions about what legalizing marijuana might lead to. So it was interesting to see that one year after the state of Washington legalized the sale and use of marijuana none of the issues that Governor Baker and Mayor Walsh rail against have come true; moreover, Washington State’s data points echo those from Colorado – the first state to legalize recreational use of marijuana.

• WA state earned more than $70 million in taxes from marijuana sales. Doubling the original marijuana tax revenue forecast of $36 million for the first year of sales (source: Washington State Liquor Board).
• Marijuana usage by kids in Middle and High School did not increase over the past year in Washington State (source: HealthYouthSurvey).
• Adults arrested for marijuana possession fell from 5,500 to 120 people freeing up local law enforcement agencies and the courts (source: drugpolicy.org).

So let’s stop our annoying Nancy Reagan “Just Say No” knee jerk reaction to all things related to pot.  The parochial attitude seems patronizing and out of step. Adults are using marijuana and the drug is not showing itself to be a gateway drug nor is crime running rampant in the states that have legalized it; actually quite the contrary has been found. The only surprising fact is how much money these states are making in tax revenues.