Education, testing and politics take on marijuana.
By: Matthew Tota, Jeremy Leopold and Shondiin Silversmith
Framed in its simplest form, the question of whether to legalize recreational marijuana in Massachusetts could come down to whether voters feel adults 21 or older should have the right to toke up in their homes. But through our reporting for this project, examining different stances and industries around pot in the state, we have found this question does not do the issue justice.
The debate over marijuana legalization is far more nuanced.
For our project, we reported on a school in Natick that prepares students to work in the marijuana industry and a lab in Milford that tests medical marijuana and dabbles in research on the drug’s medical benefits. We also talked with both sides in the battle over legalization, including the campaign that filed the initiative. We hope the videos and additional reporting included in this blog leave you with a well-rounded understanding of marijuana in Massachusetts ahead of November.
Learning the Principles of Pot
At most schools, teachers don’t share stories in class about pending drug charges or growing marijuana in a neighbor’s yard.
But the Northeastern Institute of Cannabis is not a typical school. And Massachusetts marijuana advocate Bill Downing is not a typical instructor. Downing, who according to the Boston Globe is facing criminal charges in Boston for allegedly selling an oil product derived from cannabis, teaches several courses at the Natick school, including cultivation and business.
The school, which opened in September 2014, aims to help prospective students start or find jobs in the marijuana industry, ranging from cultivation to testing to patient services. More than 100 students have already graduated from the school’s 12-course program, which costs $2,000 and provides 50 hours of training. To graduate, students must pass a 2-hour exam. And they receive a “certificate of competency,” as no official license exists yet in the state.
“It’s pretty well-accepted by all the employers out there,” said Joe LaChance, the school’s director of admissions. “It shows that you have invested in your career, and it shows that you have a good, general, basic knowledge of cannabis.”
The school has also been active in the push to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. School officials say the buzz over the November ballot measure has led to a recent increase in enrollment.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, the school hosted a “unity cypher” – essentially a large torch made to look like a joint – and planned to parade it around Boston to raise awareness for legalization.
Make Sure the Dosing is Right
The conversation around marijuana often involves legalization, but for the employees of ProVerde Laboratories, it’s all about the science of pot, not the politics.
ProVerde, based in Milford, tests medical marijuana for several of the state’s dispensaries.
Chief Scientific Operator Chris Hudalla said they test to assure that patients receive a safe product.
“We work with a number of the medical marijuana dispensaries here in Massachusetts: They provide their samples to us for testing to meet the regulatory requirements,” he said, adding testing involves measuring the drug for potency and also looking for the presence of any contaminates.
According to Hudalla, no federal guidelines exist yet for testing.
ProVerde opened its doors in 2014.
Ballot Question
Massachusetts voters will be faced with an important question come election day; a ballot initiative proposed by The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults in Massachusetts who are over 21 years old. There are ardent supporters and opponents of the initiative including The Special Senate Committee on Marijuana, which published a 118-page report listing concerns over the initiative and sharing their findings on their research into marijuana.
The full ballot initiative can be found here: http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/government/2015-petitions/15-27.pdf
The full senate report can be found here: http://bit.ly/22RnaX2 (Downloadable PDF) or https://www.scribd.com/doc/303174588/Report-of-the-Special-Senate-Committee-on-Marijuana (web version)
Here is a timeline looking at significant dates in Massachusetts marijuana reform.
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