Pubdate: Sat, 15 Jun 2013
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2013 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Authors: Christine McConville and Erin Smith

HUB LOBBYISTS LEAD POT EFFORTS

Build Ties to Beacon Hill

At least eight medical marijuana business owners and three pot 
advocacy groups have hired some Bay State lobbyists to forge 
connections on Beacon Hill as the infant weed industry starts to take root.

Dan Delaney, former strategic director for the Massachusetts 
Department of Public Health - the agency that oversees medical 
marijuana - is on the payroll for four pro-pot groups, including 
Berkshire Medicinal, Middlesex Integrative Medicine, The Greeneway 
and The TIMA Trust.

"I'm not doing any lobbying on the Department of Public Health side 
but trying to help people interpret what the regulations mean," said 
Delaney, who has also worked for medical marijuana businesses 840 
Group and New England Kind Clinic.

Delaney said he is paid to monitor proposed pot laws at the State 
House, including pending legislation that would restrict the sale of 
sweets and candies made with medical marijuana - a proposal he said 
his clients didn't take a formal position on.

Medical pot advocate John Greene - owner of The Greeneway - said he's 
just trying to give some simple relief to people in pain.

"I don't want to see someone else close to me go through what my 
father went through," said Greene, who hired Delaney to look out for 
his interests on Beacon Hill.

This spring, the state public health department issued rules for the 
industry. Now, staff is deciding how much to charge prospective 
medicinal marijuana retailers to apply for a sale permit.

Other pot-lobbying connections include MJ Freeway, maker of 
marijuana-tracking computer software, and Budding Real Estate, a real 
estate holding firm, who are working with Smith Ruddock & Hayes of Boston.

Jim Smith, a partner at the firm, said lobbyists attend all DPH 
public meetings and file testimony on behalf of the companies.

MedBox, maker of medical marijuana vending machines, has McDermott 
Emery & Will on its payroll, while Beacon Strategies and Donoghue 
Barrett & Singal are lobbying for the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana 
Association.

"It was very basic stuff," Roger Donoghue said of work he did for the 
trade group. "We monitored the proceedings at DPH, and prepared and 
filed testimony on behalf of our clients."

A spokesman for McDermott Emery & Will said MedBox hired the firm to 
monitor DPH as it drafts medical marijuana regulations.

The Marijuana Policy Project, which wants to decriminalize marijuana, 
has its own lobbyist, Matthew Wayne Simon.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom