If any state is up for a challenge it is Massachusetts. A few weeks ago we shared a post regarding the Mass Senators first time experieincing a dispensary. Now, The Taunton Daily Gazette discusses some of the obvious concerns for marijuana legalization and seed to sale tracking.
“The Senate committee plans to release a report in February on its recommendations for the regulation of the pot industry should a ballot question pass in 2016. If approved it would make Massachusetts the sixth state to legalize marijuana, allowing those 21 and over to use the drug, and establish a tax on cannabis goods.
Citing THC-infused jelly beans, Lewis said lawmakers and regulators could have a role to play in limiting the scope of legalized marijuana products and by imposing packaging and labeling requirements to alert consumers about the potency of products.
Other policy questions revolve around licensing, marketing, advertising, law enforcement, employment, banking services, growing and agriculture. “There’s such a wide range of other factors that come into play,” Lewis said, noting that state and local governments need to ramp up regulatory systems since marijuana is not legal under federal law and federal agencies do not play oversight roles.
Colorado officials, for instance, have become involved in regulating pesticides, he said, because humid marijuana growing conditions in warehouses have drawn pests like aphids and black mold. Pesticide use has forced regulators to take on testing roles to ensure that products treated with pesticides are safe for human consumption.
Lawmakers and law enforcement officials may also have to confront ways to minimize public safety and public health impacts associated with legalized marijuana, he said.”You’re never going to stamp out any of the concerns on accidental ingestion or people not using the product in a responsible way,” he said.”
Read the full story from the Source: Senator: Legal marijuana would create many challenges in Massachusetts – News – The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA – Taunton, MA
