The news that pot dispensaries are coming to Massachusetts hasn’t seemed to shake many citizens. Perhaps it’s because the imagery of marijuana displayed in a storefront isn’t quite here yet, or maybe it’s because the majority of respondents just don’t care. While there are undoubtedly opponents to the quirky new shops in Massachusetts, their voices are much harder to find. Even conservative news side Breitbart.com refrained from editorializing in their brief piece on the matter.
The Simmons Voice Editorial Board is for the dispensaries in Mass. We can’t deny that it will be strange to walk by a legal store that sells weed, bu we’re convinced it will be safer – and more beneficial – for patients to buy their weed in stores. Here’s why.
It’s no secret that in California, you can get a medical marijuana card if you’ve so much as had a headache. We don’t know how strict local doctors will be in prescribing weed, but the legislation states that only patients with a debilitating medical condition will be able to benefit. Examples in the law include hepatitis C, AIDS, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cancer – but the language leaves it open for doctors to determine.
Being opposed to recreational marijuana is understandable, but how can anyone be against its use for relieving pain? Concerns about potential abuse in the industry are valid, but it’s just weed, after all.
Our only concern?: The age limit for buying marijuana. Patients can appoint caretakers to pick up their prescriptions if the appointee is more than 21, but the legislation doesn’t say anything about the age of the patients. While many myths about the damaging factors of pot have been dismissed, studies still reflect that smoking weed heavily at an early age can contribute to permanent brain damage.
There’s no language in the legislature that limits the age of the patient, or of the caution doctors should exercise in prescribing medical marijuana to adolescents. However, it’s important to note that the law does prohibit driving under the influence of weed, and the use of marijuana near youth centers and schools, or in public in general.
And finally, the coup de jour of the dispensaries coming to Massachusettes: Tax revenue. Fees vary state by state, but Massachusett’s 20 approved dispensaries are likely to generate a proposed $1,000,000 in annual fees alone and $630,000 in applications. And that’s just if no other dispensaries get approved, which isn’t anticipated to be the case. We know it’s hard to think of medical marijuana dispensaries as helping schools, but that’s a lot of money for teachers’ salaries and new textbooks (ideally).
The bottom line is, medical marijuana can provide much-needed relief to people in pain, and the idea that it will be regulated by the government rather than sold by a shady stranger in Evans Way Park is comforting. Tax revenue and increased limitations are the cherries on top of the idea that those who suffer from chronic disease might have the opportunity to suffer a little less.
