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1 US MA: Auburn Man Featured In High Times Faces Drug ChargesFri, 22 Dec 2017
Source:Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) Author:Barnes, George Area:Massachusetts Lines:41 Added:12/27/2017

SPRINGFIELD - Two Central Massachusetts men were charged in federal court in Springfield Friday with commercial growing of marijuana.

Federal agents learned of their operation when one of them was featured in a magazine article talking about his business. Mr. Vallee was featured in an article in High Times published in February.

In the article, Eric Vallee, 38, of Auburn, spoke of regularly harvesting 10 pounds of marijuana per month. Based on that number, federal agents determined that he was harvesting a substantial amount of marijuana per year. The article also noted he worked with Peter Molle, 35, of Holland.

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2 US MA: High ambitions: Pot Advocacy Group To Attempt To BuildFri, 15 Dec 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Annear, Steve Area:Massachusetts Lines:107 Added:12/18/2017

Beantown Greentown is trying to build a 100-foot-long joint this weekend at a marijuana expo event in Worcester. This is a practice run.

Keith Laham and his friends have been practicing for the past few months.

They have gathered in his cellar, in other people's cellars - you name it, the 42-year-old West Roxbury native said.

But this weekend will mark the true attempt, and Laham, cofounder of Beantown Greentown, a medical marijuana advocacy group, lifestyle brand, and cannabis club, has high ambitions for it.

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3 US MA: Pot Growers, Enthusiasts Gather In Worcester For First-EverSat, 16 Dec 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:108 Added:12/16/2017

WORCESTER - Thousands of people gathered at a convention hall Saturday for the first-ever Harvest Cup, a friendly if spirited competition among home-growers of marijuana that doubled as a convention for the burgeoning cannabis industry and its consumers.

The event, taking place this weekend at the DCU Center, came the same week that marijuana regulators began drafting rules for the scheduled July start of recreational sales in Massachusetts. Many participants Saturday were overheard debating various policies and what they will mean for the small-scale cultivators at the heart of the Harvest Cup once millions of dollars of investment funds pour into the state.

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4 US MA: PUB LTE: Congressman Should Lead On MarijuanaTue, 28 Nov 2017
Source:Salem News (MA) Author:Epstein, Steven S. Area:Massachusetts Lines:38 Added:11/29/2017

Last March, I wrote Congressman Seth Moulton asking him to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 975, the "Respect State Marijuana Laws Act." He responded that, "The federal government ought to respect the will of the voters in states like Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington that have approved marijuana legalization."

Yet, instead of signing on as a co-sponsor, he chooses to leave federal enforcement up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr. Sessions understands the proper roles of Congress and his office. He stated at his confirmation hearing, "I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state and the distribution of it an illegal act. If that's something that's not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It is not the attorney general's job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able."

By "able," he is referring to budgetary constraints of attempting to enforce federal prohibition of a plant that grows in every state.

Mr. Moulton, leaders lead. Get off the fence and sponsor the legislation.

Steven S. Epstein

West Street Georgetown

[end]

5 US MA: State Pot Commission Aims To Have First Draft Of Rules Set ByTue, 21 Nov 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:74 Added:11/23/2017

Pot sales are expected to begin around July 1 in Massachusetts.

The Cannabis Control Commission is pushing to write a first draft of new rules permitting the legal sale of marijuana in Massachusetts by the end of the year, setting up a frenetic month that will shape the recreational pot industry.

The commission announced Tuesday that it plans to file initial regulations by Dec. 29. Among numerous details, they will spell out the criteria for winning dispensary licenses, rules for marijuana consumption bars, and a plan for ensuring diversity in the industry.

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6 US MA: Mass. Marijuana Board Moving Toward First Draft Of RegsTue, 21 Nov 2017
Source:Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) Author:Young, Colin A. Area:Massachusetts Lines:116 Added:11/23/2017

BOSTON - Genuine debate on marijuana policy and how the legal pot industry should look in Massachusetts is likely coming from the Cannabis Control Commission during the middle two weeks of December, which are shaping up to be the CCC's busiest yet as the agency tries to file the first draft of its regulations by Dec. 29.

The CCC has tentatively penciled in public meetings for policy discussion and debate on the draft regulations each day of the week of Dec. 11, chairman Steven Hoffman said Tuesday. The following week will begin with three days of private stakeholder meetings and then at least one public meeting for the CCC to vote on acceptance of the draft regulations.

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7 US MA: PUB LTE: Moulton Should 'Get Off The Fence'Wed, 22 Nov 2017
Source:Daily News, The (Newburyport, MA) Author:Epstein, Steven S. Area:Massachusetts Lines:40 Added:11/22/2017

To the editor:

Last March, I wrote Congressman Seth Moulton asking him to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 975, the "€œRespect State Marijuana Laws Act."€ He responded that, "€œThe federal government ought to respect the will of the voters in states like Massachusetts, Colorado and Washington that have approved marijuana legalization."

Yet, instead of signing on as a co-sponsor, he chooses to leave federal enforcement up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr. Sessions understands the proper roles of Congress and his office. He stated at his confirmation hearing, "€œI think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state and the distribution of it an illegal act. If that'€™s something that'€™s not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It is not the attorney general'€™s job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able."€ By "€œable"€ he is referring to budgetary constraints of attempting to enforce federal prohibition of a plant that grows in every state.

Mr. Moulton, leaders lead. Get off the fence and sponsor the legislation.

Steven S. Epstein

West Street Georgetown

[end]

8 US MA: State To Hire Full-Time Cannabis ConnoisseurMon, 06 Nov 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Gross, Samantha J. Area:Massachusetts Lines:58 Added:11/06/2017

Help wanted: Pot inspector.

The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources posted a listing on the state's career site Friday for an agricultural inspector who will specialize in a new crop in Massachusetts: cannabis.

"This Inspector position will enforce the laws and regulations involving hemp and overlapping laws and regulations that impact the cultivation of marijuana," the listing says.

Other duties of the job include providing "education and outreach to stakeholders relative to the enforcement of pertinent laws and regulations," and reporting and summarizing inspections, the listing says.

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9 US MA: Cannabis Exposition Comes To Boston And No, That Smell Is NotThu, 05 Oct 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Finucane, Martin Area:Massachusetts Lines:90 Added:10/05/2017

Organizers of the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition say they expect more than 2,000 people at the event Thursday and Friday at the John B. Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

It's the first time this particular exposition has come to town. The organizers also held events this year in New York and Los Angeles.

"We are planting our flag here," said Dan Humiston, an organizer of the show.

"We anticipate the New England area is going to be the next big market for the industry. All the tea leaves say this part of the country will take off."

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10 US MA: Mass. Marijuana Commission Working On Budget, RevenueWed, 04 Oct 2017
Source:Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) Author:Young, Colin A. Area:Massachusetts Lines:89 Added:10/04/2017

BOSTON - As he prepares an immediate budget request for this fiscal year and his agency's budget request for its first full year in existence, the chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission has been meeting with lawmakers and expects to have an estimate of the CCC's fiscal needs within two weeks.

Chairman Steven Hoffman said he's already held about a half-dozen meetings with state lawmakers and expects to hold another six or seven. The topic of funding for the fledgling CCC, which was not a hot topic of debate in the Legislature during debate on pot taxes, comes up "every single time," he said.

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11 US MA: Mass. High Court Says Sobriety Tests Aren't Evidence For PotTue, 19 Sep 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:116 Added:09/20/2017

Members of the Mass. State Police performed a sobriety test on a driver in Chicopee in 2011.

The state's highest court on Tuesday limited which evidence can be used in court to prosecute drivers suspected of operating under the influence of marijuana, handing a victory to civil rights advocates in a closely-watched case.

Under a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court, Massachusetts police officers can no longer cite their subjective on-scene observations or sobriety tests to conclude in court testimony that a driver was under the influence of marijuana.

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12 US MA: Marijuana Rally On Boston Common Features Vendors, Music, AndSat, 16 Sep 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Carozza, Jacob Area:Massachusetts Lines:42 Added:09/19/2017

The Boston Freedom Rally was on Boston Common on Saturday.

Thousands of people are expected to flock to Boston Common this weekend for the 28th annual Boston Freedom Rally - the first time the marijuana festival has been held since voters approved a ballot referendum last November legalizing the drug for recreational use.

As of Saturday morning, about 7,400 people indicated on Facebook that they plan to go to the rally, organized by the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition.

The festival, which began Friday, is scheduled to be held from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday according to its Facebook page.

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13 US MA: A Year After Lawsuit, Marijuana Rally On Boston Common Set ToTue, 29 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:83 Added:09/01/2017

Attendees of the annual marijuana "Freedom Rally" on Boston Common laughed during last year's event.

For more stories on the marijuana industry, sign up for our newsletter, This Week in Weed.

The administration of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is expected to green-light the 28th annual marijuana "Freedom Rally" on Boston Common in September, a year after organizers of the smoky, weekend-long bash had to sue the city to get a permit.

This year's incarnation of the long-running celebration of cannabis culture, which draws thousands of marijuana enthusiasts, is scheduled to begin Sept. 15. It will be the first to take place since voters legalized recreational use of the drug last November.

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14 US MA: Question 4 Opponents Will Have Majority On Cannabis CommissionFri, 01 Sep 2017
Source:Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) Author:Young, Colin A. Area:Massachusetts Lines:115 Added:09/01/2017

BOSTON -- Marijuana legalization opponents will outnumber supporters four to one on the new commission that will spearhead the state's efforts to get a legal marijuana industry up and running by next summer and then regulate the newly legal market.

Attorney General Maura Healey on Friday appointed Britte McBride, a lawyer with experience working for the attorney general's office, the state Senate and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, to the newly minted Cannabis Control Commission, and joined Gov. Charlie Baker and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg in agreeing on two picks to round out the five-person panel.

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15 US MA: Former Bain Consultant Named Top Marijuana RegulatorThu, 31 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:71 Added:08/31/2017

Steven Hoffman, a veteran corporate executive and consultant, was named the chair of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, the newly created agency that will usher in an era of legal marijuana use.

The appointment Thursday by state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg makes Hoffman, a 63-year-old Lincoln resident, the state's top marijuana regulator. He will hire the commission's executive director and other staff, and oversee the writing of new rules to govern marijuana cultivators, processors, and both medical and recreational dispensaries.

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16 US MA: A Church's Sign Campaign Captures Opioids' TollThu, 31 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Eppolito, Sophia Area:Massachusetts Lines:61 Added:08/31/2017

A Wrentham church has launched an unusual campaign to raise awareness of the toll opioid abuse has taken in Massachusetts.

Signs marked "#2069" - the number of opioid-related deaths reported statewide for 2016 - have shown up in yards around the region thanks to the efforts of Trinity Episcopal Church.

The Rev. Ron Tibbetts said he was the first to admit "we at Trinity Church were unaware of the crisis." Then, the church's outreach committee met with the S.A.F.E. Coalition, a Franklin-based group that deals with substance abuse issues.

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17 US MA: Baker Proposes Manslaughter Charge For Drug DealersWed, 30 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Ransom, Jan Area:Massachusetts Lines:138 Added:08/30/2017

Seeking to crack down on the suppliers behind the state's lethal opioid crisis, Governor Charlie Baker on Wednesday filed a broad legislative package that would create a new manslaughter charge for drug dealers whose product causes a death.

Under Baker's plan, dealers would face a mandatory minimum of five years for selling any drugs that result in a fatality.

"When illegal drug distribution causes a death, laws that were designed to punish the act are inadequate to recognize the seriousness of the resulting harm," Baker wrote in a letter to state lawmakers in support of the legislation. "In order to ensure that accountability, this legislation establishes enhanced penalties that directly target those who cause death by illegally selling drugs."

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18 US MA: White House Anti-Drug Office Asks Massachusetts For MedicalFri, 25 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Adams, Dan Area:Massachusetts Lines:139 Added:08/25/2017

An arm of the White House's anti-drug office has asked Massachusetts and several other states where medical marijuana is legal to turn over information about their registered patients, triggering a debate over privacy rights and whether state officials should cooperate with a federal administration that appears hostile to the drug.

Dale Quigley, deputy coordinator of the National Marijuana Initiative, or NMI, has asked Massachusetts health officials for demographic data on the age, gender, and medical condition of the state's approximately 40,000 registered medical marijuana patients. Quigley is a former police officer in Colorado with a long history of speaking out against legalization.

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19 US MA: When It Comes To Marijuana Foods, Regulation Drives InnovationWed, 16 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Miller, Joshua Area:Massachusetts Lines:171 Added:08/16/2017

DENVER - Many college students will tell you that making pot brownies is easy - just sprinkle a little marijuana into a pan of melting butter, then follow the instructions on the back of the Duncan Hines box.

But marijuana entrepreneurs in this center of cannabis innovation face a much higher bar. They have no trouble dreaming up creative treats and concoctions infused with psychoactive THC, but meeting hundreds of pages of health and safety regulations means their imagination is handcuffed. And for good reason: the rules demand precise dosing, uniform potency, and warning symbols imprinted on the food itself.

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20 US MA: Driving While Stoned? State Officials Urge Caution OnWed, 09 Aug 2017
Source:Boston Globe (MA) Author:Feiner, Lauren Area:Massachusetts Lines:48 Added:08/09/2017

With marijuana now legal in Massachusetts, federal, and state officials are launching a new campaign to remind users that driving while high remains illegal.

With marijuana now legal in Massachusetts, federal, and state officials are launching a new campaign to remind users that driving while high remains illegal.

With a motto of "Drive high? The crash is on you," the campaign will feature billboards, radio, and TV ads targeted at drivers between the ages of 18 and 49, but is particularly aimed at younger people, officials from Massachusetts and federal transportation and safety agencies said Tuesday.

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