TO: Friends of MPP
FROM: Karen O’Keefe, MPP assistant director of state policies

Massachusetts: Medical marijuana bill hits dead end; penalty reduction bill passes committee

In March, Massachusetts legislative committees effectively killed a medical marijuana bill for the year, and favorably reported a separate bill to reduce the penalty for simple possession.

Despite hearing powerful testimony from patients, the Joint Committee on Public Health sent medical marijuana bill H. 2247 to study on March 18. This means that the bill will not have a chance to pass; it will not be referred to another committee or to the full legislature.

H. 2247 would have allowed patients with debilitating medical conditions to possess, cultivate, and use medical marijuana to treat their symptoms. While this is very disappointing, it is not unusual for legislatures to consider medical marijuana bills for several legislative sessions before acting on them. Please let your legislators know that this issue is important to you and that you’d like them to enact a medical marijuana bill next session.

Two days after the medical marijuana bill was sent to study, the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse favorably reported out a bill, which would reduce the maximum penalty for possessing an ounce of marijuana to a $250 civil fine. The bill, S.1121, is now in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

If your senator is on the ways and means committee, please call him or her to voice your support for reducing marijuana possession penalties. You can click here to find out if your senator is on the committee, to find his or her number, and to read talking points.

While it’s important to contact committee members about S. 1211, the best hope for significantly reducing the penalties for simple possession of marijuana and eliminating many collateral consequences that can haunt marijuana users for life remains the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy’s initiative. The legislature has thus far refused to reform marijuana possession penalties, despite bills being introduced for the past several legislative sessions.

CSMP’s initiative would reduce the penalty for possession of marijuana from up to six months in jail and a $500 fine to a $100 civil fine. It would also eliminate the chances of an arrest and CORI record, which sparks lifelong consequences in housing, employment, and other areas. The first round of signature gathering was successfully completed this fall, and the measure is in the legislature. If the legislature fails to pass the bill by May 6, CSMP will have to gather 11,099 valid signatures between early May and June 18 to put the measure on the November ballot. Please help pass this historic initiative by signing up to volunteer with CSMP or donate to the campaign.

Thank you for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project. Please pass this message on to others in Massachusetts, so that more voices for reform can be heard.