Growing List of Opposition to Ballot Question 4 To Legalize Commercial Marijuana Industry in Massachusetts

 



No on Question 4. No to commercial marijuana.Leaders From Every Region Join Growing List of Organizations To Say That Question 4 is Wrong Path For Their Communities

The list of health, business, faith, and local town boards and officials who oppose Question 4 continues to grow weekly. They join a bi-partisan coalition of 120 legislators from every region of the Commonwealth today voiced their opposition to ballot question 4 to legalize the commercial marijuana industry in Massachusetts.

[Added to the list below this week: Worcester Board of Health, Westborough Board of Selectmen, Milford Regional Medical Center, Tri-Town Council, Waltham City Council, Eight physicians organizations, Link to Mass Medical Society opposition booklet. Check back, list grows almost daily.]

These organizations and legislators join elected leaders such as Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Attorney General Maura Healey who have come out in opposition to Question 4. The Massachusetts Municipal Association also has opposed this ballot question after a unanimous vote by their board of directors.

Health Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

Business and Industry Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

Local Governments Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

School Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

Faith Based Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

Non-Governmental Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

  • Berkshire United Way Board of Directors
  • Action for Boston Community Development
  • Tri-Town Council, Topsfield

Public Safety Organizations Opposed to Marijuana Ballot Question 4:

Mass Senators Opposed Marijuana Ballot to Question 4:

(D) Senator Joseph Boncore – 1st Suffolk and Middlesex District
(D) Senator Michael Brady – 2nd Plymouth & Bristol District
(D) Senator Harriette Chandler – 1st Worcester District
(R) Senator Vinny deMacedo – Plymouth and Barnstable District
(D) Senator Sal DiDomenico – Middlesex and Suffolk District
(D) Senator Eileen Donoghue – 1st Middlesex District
(R) Senator Ryan Fattman – Worcester and Norfolk District
(D) Senator Jennifer Flanagan – Worcester and Middlesex District
(D) Senator Anne Gobi – Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Middlesex District
(R) Senator Donald Humason – 2nd Hampden and Hampshire District
(D) Senator John Keenan – Norfolk and Plymouth District
(D) Senator Barbara L’Italien – 2nd Essex and Middlesex District
(D) Senator Jason Lewis – 5th Middlesex District
(D) Senator Joan Lovely – 2nd Essex District
(D) Senator Mike Moore – 2nd Worcester District
(R) Senator Patrick O’Connor – Plymouth and Norfolk District
(D) Senator Kathleen O’Connor Ives – 1st Essex District
(D) Senator Michael Rodrigues – 1st Bristol and Plymouth District
(R) Senator Richard Ross – Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District
(D) Senator Michael Rush – Norfolk and Suffolk District
(R) Senator Bruce Tarr – 1st Essex and Middlesex District
(D) Senator Daniel Wolf – Cape and Islands District

Mass Representatives opposed to marijuana ballot question 4:

(D) Representative James Arciero – 2nd Middlesex District
(D) Representative Brian Ashe – 2nd Hampden District
(D) Representative Cory Atkins – 14th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Bruce Ayers – 1st Norfolk District
(R) Representative Jay Barrows – 1rst Bristol District
(D) Representative Jennifer Benson – 37th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Donnie Berthiaume – 5th Worcester District
(D) Representative Daniel Cahill – 10th Essex District
(D) Representative Thomas Calter – 12th Plymouth District
(R) Representative Kate Campanale – 17th Worcester District
(D) Representative James Cantwell – 4th Plymouth District
(D) Representative Gerard Cassidy – 9th Plymouth District
(D) Representative Tackey Chan – 2nd Norfolk District
(D) Representative Edward Coppinger – 10th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Claire Cronin – 11th Plymouth District
(D) Representative Josh Cutler – 6th Plymouth District
(R) Representative Angelo D’Emilia – 8th Plymouth District
(D) Representative Michael Day – 31st Middlesex District
(R) Representative David Decoste – 5th Plymouth District
(D) Speaker Robert Deleo – 19th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Brian Dempsey – 3rd Essex District
(D) Representative Marcos Devers – 16th Essex District
(R) Representative Geoff Diehl – 7th Plymouth District
(D) Representative Diana DiZoglio – 14th Essex District
(D) Representative Paul Donato – 35th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Shawn Dooley – 9th Norfolk District
(R) Representative Peter Durant – 6th Worcester District
(D) Representative Jim Dwyer – 30th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Carolyn Dykema – 8th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Kimberly Ferguson – 1st Worcester District
(D) Representative John Fernandes – 10th Worcester District
(D) Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante – 5th Essex District
(D) Representative Michael Finn – 6th Hampden District
(D) Representative Carole Fiola – 6th Bristol District
(R) Representative Paul Frost – 7th Worcester District
(D) Representative Denise Garlick – 13th Norfolk District
(D) Representative Colleen Garry – 36th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Carmine Gentile – 13th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Thomas Golden – 16th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Patricia Haddad – 5th Bristol District
(R) Representative Sheila Harrington – 1st Middlesex District
(D) Representative Stephen Hay – 3rd Worcester District
(D) Representative Russell Holmes – 6th Suffolk District
(R) Representative Steve Howitt – 4th Bristol District
(D) Representative Daniel Hunt – 13th Suffolk District
(R) Representative Randy Hunt – 5th Barnstable District
(R) Minority Leader Brad Jones – 20th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Hannah Kane – 11th Worcester District
(D) Representative Kay Khan – 11th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Robert Koczera – 11th Bristol District
(R) Representative Kevin Kuros – 8th Worcester District
(D) Representative John Lawn – 10th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Marc Lombardo – 22nd Middlesex District
(R) Representative Jim Lyons – 18th Essex District
(D) Representative Elizabeth Malia – 11th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Ronald Mariano – 3rd Norfolk District
(D) Representative Christopher Markey – 9th Bristol District
(D) Representative Joe McGonagle – 28th Middlesex District
(R) Representative Joe McKenna – 18th Worcester District
(D) Representative Paul McMurtry – 11th Norfolk District
(D) Representative James Miceli – 19th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Frank Moran – 17th Essex District
(R) Representative David Muradian – 9th Worcester District
(R) Representative Mathew Muratore – 1st Plymouth District
(D) Representative James Murphy – 4th Norfolk District
(D) Representative Dave Nangle – 17th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Harold Naughton – 12th Worcester District
(R) Representative Shaunna O’Connell – 3rd Bristol District
(R) Representative Keiko Orrall – 12th Bristol District
(D) Representative Jerald Parisella – 6th Essex District
(D) Representative Thomas Petrolati – 7th Hampden District
(D) Representative William Pignatelli – 4th Berkshire District
(R) Representative Elizabeth Poirier – 14th Bristol District
(D) Representative Angelo Pupollo – 12th Hampden District
(D) Representative John Rogers – 12th Norfolk District
(D) Representative Dennis Rosa – 4th Worcester District
(D) Representative Jeffrey Roy – 10th Norfolk District
(D) Representative Daniel Ryan – 2nd Suffolk District
(D) Representative Jeffrey Sanchez – 15th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Angelo Scaccia – 14th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Paul Schimd – 8th Bristol District
(D) Representative John Scibak – 2nd Hampshire District
(D) Representative Alan Silva – 7th Bristol District
(R) Representative Todd Smola – 1st Hampden District
(D) Representative Theodore Speliotis – 13th Essex District
(D) Representative Thomas Stanley – 9th Middlesex District
(D) Representative Ellen Story – 3rd Hampshire District
(D) Representative Walter Timilty – 7th Norfolk District
(D) Representative Paul Tucker – 7th Essex District
(D) Representative Steven Ultrino – 33rd Middlesex District
(D) Representative John Velis – 4th Hampden District
(R) Representative David Vieira – 3rd Barnstable District
(D) Representative RoseLee Vincent – 16th Suffolk District
(D) Representative Thomas Walsh – 12th Essex District
(R) Representative Timothy Whelan – 1st Barnstable District
(R) Representative Susannah Whipps-Lee – 2nd Franklin District
(R) Representative Donald Wong – 9th Essex District
(D) Representative Jonathan Zlotnik – 2nd Worcester District

Elected leaders say that allowing the billion-dollar marijuana industry into Massachusetts to market highly potent edible products, particularly during an addiction crisis, is the wrong path for the state. Edibles like this account for 50% of the sales in Colorado, and the Massachusetts ballot question specifically authorizes these products and places no potency limit on them. A recent study found that the number of children aged 0-9 who suffered from marijuana exposure has increased by 150% in Colorado since the state legalized commercial marijuana, including edibles.

The Massachusetts ballot question, which was written by and for the Marijuana industry, sets no limits on the number of producers and sellers, allows people to grow tens of thousands of dollars of marijuana at their homes, even over neighbors’ objections, and has been shown to dramatically increase impaired driving in other states that have legalized commercial marijuana.

Massachusetts has already taken major steps to address concerns around this issue. Massachusetts has decriminalized the possession of marijuana – people are not being jailed for marijuana use nor are they receiving a criminal record for such activity. Massachusetts also legalized the use of marijuana for health purposes.

For more information on the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, visit safeandhealthyma.com or on twitter at @safehealthyma.