Massachusetts lawmakers have decided not to take up a proposal that would scale back the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law, leaving it to prohibitionist activists to collect additional signatures to place the initiative on the November ballot.
The legislature’s Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions issued a report last week saying that a majority of the panel “voted to recommend that the General Court take no action” on the measure.
Under state law, the legislature gets a chance to enact proposed ballot measures after organizers submit an initial round of petitions. If they decline, campaigns can then collect more signatures to refer initiatives to voters.
After conducting a review, a majority of committee members “raised substantial concerns regarding the structure, scope, and anticipated impacts” of the proposal, which would repeal state laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational marijuana while continuing to keep the medical cannabis system in place.
“The Committee notes that this existing framework represents a comprehensive regulatory system that has been developed over time to balance public health protections, consumer access, and a legal, taxed marketplace for cannabis products,” the panel’s report says.
“The Committee finds that the proposal lacks sufficient detail regarding implementation and enforcement
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