The Legalization of Weed in Massachussetts

November 8, 2016 was a historic day for the people of the United States of America. The biggest news was the political upset of Donald Trump being elected into the nation’s highest office. This election caused such uproar on a global spectrum that some people forgot that elections are more than just electing a new president. Local and state matters are taken into account as well, and one state matter that gripped Massachusetts was the legalization of marijuana.

The legalization struck a chord for many, but for others it offered a new hope for the future economy and happiness of the people in Boston. A great deal of students still do not fully understand what their future looks like with this new law and how it will affect them. Some are questioning the legitimacy of the law because the sale of marijuana in Massachusetts stores has been pushed to 2018.

Additionally, The New York Times specifies that people will only now be able to get licenses for cannabis clubs starting January 1, 2018. Stephen S. Epstein, a lawyer from Georgetown, Mass. who has taken a particular interest in the sale of cannabis, said that the date has been pushed back even further, to July 1, 2018. It took Colorado around a year to fully adapt to the change in the system, but this delay in sales seems unnecessary.

The bill for the legalization of marijuana went live on December 15, and Massachusetts will instill a series of strict guidelines to regulate the drug. According to The Boston Globe, people over the age of 21 in Massachusetts will only be able to grow up to six mature plants per household. Adults will be able to possess roughly one ounce of marijuana outside and up to 10 ounces inside their place of residence. Marijuana can also be “gifted” to other people.

The new law does more than just assuage the anxieties of recreational smokers. By adding this billion-dollar industry to the economy of Massachusetts, Boston could receive similar benefits that Colorado felt in 2012. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 2015 pot retailers brought in $996 million in sales and over $135 million in taxes alone.

For Boston University students, it is important to understand impending policies concerning marijuana use at school. With any new development in recreational drug use comes a new set of rules.

Captain Robert Molloy of the Boston University Police Department explained that despite the legalization of marijuana in November, the policies at BU have not changed. “Marijuana is not allowed on campus,” he said. “It is not allowed for people to possess it. It is not allowed for people to smoke it.”

Despite its decriminalization, the usage and possession of weed is strictly prohibited on campus at all times. Captain Molloy pointed out that even “marijuana derivatives” are not allowed on campus, and students under the age of 21 will receive a citation if caught with it; students over 21 will be written up.

A lot of people overdramatize the drug, but some people don’t think there are any repercussions.”

At freshman orientation, the orientation speakers and leaders make sure to scare students as much as possible. They claim that the odor can cause the BUPD to come and investigate, which Captain Molloy confirmed. While Molloy made sure to emphasize that marijuana is strictly prohibited on campus, he could not provide an exact reason for the suspicious pushback of the selling of marijuana. “I don’t think that the Commonwealth was prepared to have these businesses lined up,” said Molloy. “It’s a lot for the city of Boston to grapple with. They don’t want it near schools; they want to make sure it’s regulated properly; they want to make sure the hours are correct; there needs to be enough security. There’s so much to it that they needed another six months.”

BU students wanted a better reason. “It’s fishy because of the way it was passed,” said Jamal Fairbanks (CFA ’18). “The delay happened in secret, which outraged people.” Fairbanks strongly believed that the entire marijuana industry could greatly aid Massachusetts and the city of Boston. He explained that the multi-billion dollar industry would extend beyond just benefitting people smoking the drug. “You have countless individuals who get their scholarships revoked or get criminal records, have their lives ruined, because of pot,” said Fairbanks.

Still, many people are concerned with the effects of marijuana on students and adults around the country, no matter how positive the impacts of legalization. “It is an intoxicating substance that should be approached carefully with full knowledge about its characteristics,” said Jim Borghesani, the communications director for the Tax and Regulate Massachusetts Campaign. “The fear is really rooted in the reefer madness hysteria of the last hundred years.”

Borghesani expressed a similar opinion to Fairbanks’ when asked about the real reason behind the delay of the sale of marijuana. “Massachusetts is under the mistaken impression that the sales couldn’t begin until then without some form of legislative action,” said Borghesani. “They were wrong to think that. The legislature was given no role in our initiative and the market could have moved forward without any legislative action.”

Epstein also believed that there has been some miscommunication within the legislative department of Massachusetts. “As to why, Iwould only be speculating as to the motive of the 200 members of the 189th legislature,” said Epstein. “Some undoubtedly are looking for the opportunity to undermine the will of the people.”

For current BU students, the delay is not as dramatic as Epstein and Borghesani believe it to be. These students, rather, continue to question the safety of marijuana despite the legalization. “A lot of people over-dramatize the drug, but some people don’t think there are any repercussions,” said Matthew Katz (COM ’20). “There are some, but I don’t think there are enough for it to be totally illegal.”

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, alongside heroin. This category encompasses “substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Legalization lowers the amount of arrests for posessing the “Schedule 1 drug.”

“It needs to be more regulated, just like alcohol,” said Malloy.

Massachusetts is attempting to add some regulations about marijuana similar to regulations on alcohol. The Boston Globe pointed out that while driving with a blood alcohol level under 0.08 is legal, driving under the influence of any marijuana is highly illegal. Fairbanks stood by the belief that regulations should not just extend to marijuana. “If you say marijuana is a gateway drug,” he said, “then you need to say the same for alcohol and opioids.”

There are still levels of uncertainty pertaining to the drug and policy implementation. While the legalization has numerous positive benefits, many students and adults are still unsure, and even wary, of the drug. The delay of the sale of marijuana has many questioning Massachusetts’s motives and reasoning, with some people calling out the Massachusetts legislature. For now, it is important that BU students stay aware of the status of the legalization, even though it does not seem like much will change for the majority of undergraduates.

BY MARIANNE FARRELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELA WANG AND ANONYMOUS | DESIGN BY IVAN ALEKSANDROV