Massachusetts State House. (WNG File Photo)
BOSTON- On Monday, members of the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy officially met for the first time to hear testimony on the new recreational marijuana law. Both chambers of the Legislature voted in January to form the Joint Committee to oversee proposed changes to the Question 4 initiative, which was passed in November with 53% of the vote statewide.
Monday’s hearing did not include any testimony on specific bills, but rather general testimony from state agencies and officials about what they believe to be the highest priorities in effectively legislating recreational marijuana. Representatives from the State Treasurer’s Office, the Attorney General’s office, the Departments of Revenue, Public Health, and Agriculture, and the Gaming Commissioner’s Office, as well as organizers from the Yes on 4 Campaign, were all invited to testify.
The Committee, like all Joint Committees, is comprised of 6 Senate members and 11 House members, including local State Representative John Velis. Along with his three other committee assignments, Velis has specifically been taskedwith hearing over 40 bills that would amend the existing marijuana law that went into effect in December.
Major topics for the Joint Committee this session will likely revolve around public safety concerns. Notably, Representative Velis is concerned about developing regulations for the sale of recreational marijuana, such asdeveloping acceptable packaging standards foredible marijuana products in order to prevent their consumption by children. He is also concerned with the increased risk of drivers consuming marijuana and operating under the influence. Currently, there is no reliable test for determining the level of cannabinoids in the blood as there is with alcohol, posing an increased challenge to law-enforcement officials who suspect OUI.
Hearings for the committee are likely to go on for months to come. Members willalso be visiting Colorado, a state that legalized recreational cannabis in 2012, to get a better sense of how their state legislature has been dealing with similar issues.
Says Representative Velis, “Today was just the beginning of a very long road. There will certainly be a lot to consider moving forward, but I look forward to hashing out the details and coming to a resolution that will uphold the will of the voters while maintaining a high-level of public safety for all citizens of the Commonwealth.”
