Pubdate: Fri, 05 Nov 2004
Source: North Shore Sunday (Beverly, MA)
Copyright: 2004 Community Newspapers Inc.
Contact:  http://www.northshoresunday.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3465
Author: Joel  Beck
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Steve+Epstein

SMOKIN'!

If you ask Steve Epstein, sooner or later someone at the State House
has to start paying attention to the public demand for the reformation
of Massachusetts' marijuana laws.

For  now, Epstein is hoping the third time is the charm. Lost  in the
shuffle of yet another controversial photo finish in the presidential
race was the North Shore's passage of Epstein's non-binding ballot
question  seeking to decriminalize marijuana, with punishment for
possession being more  like getting a traffic ticket.

As a  Georgetown attorney and a longtime marijuana reform advocate,
Epstein had placed  the question on ballots in the 2nd Essex Senate
and 3rd Essex and Middlesex  districts, asking voters whether they'd
like their legislators to reconsider the  state's marijuana laws.

This  being the third time a marijuana reformation question was on a
Massachusetts  ballot, Epstein hopes this will be the time legislators
put the wheels in  motion.

"My  prediction was pretty accurate," says Epstein. "This is the third
time we've  been doing this and once again both Senate districts voted
overwhelmingly in  favor."

Overwhelming  indeed. In the 2nd Essex Senate District, which includes
Danvers, Peabody,  Salem, Topsfield and Beverly, the question passed
by more than a 2-to-1 margin,  with nearly 50,000 voting in favor and
roughly 22,000 voting against. Meanwhile,  in the 3rd Essex and
Middlesex district, which includes Saugus, Marblehead,  Swampscott,
Melrose, Lynn and Nahant, more than 37,000 people voted in favor  with
a little more than 18,000 voting against. It  remains to be seen
whether marijuana reform will become a reality in Massachusetts'
immediate future, but at the very least, Epstein likes the numbers he
saw Tuesday night.

"Any  candidate would be glad to have our margin of victory," says
Epstein. "I don't  know when the members of the House and Senate have
to start paying attention to  this. But I was telling the Republicans
at my polling places (Tuesday) that they  would do a lot better if
they would adopt my position on marijuana."

Perhaps,  but considering that only two candidates actually responded
to a questionnaire  that Epstein had sent out prior to the election
asking whether they would  support marijuana reformation, changing the
state's policy may be easier said  than done.

That  said, Epstein knows the hard part may just be getting started.
"We'll  be in communication (with all the legislators)," Epstein says.
"We'll be in  touch with all of them about hopefully getting them to
sign on to a bill."
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MAP posted-by: Derek