Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Following last November’s ballot question approval, it’s already legal to possess marijuana in the Bay State, with retail sales set to begin next summer.
With students back in school, the Townsman spoke with local education and law enforcement officials to find out how they plan to address marijuana use at the middle school and high school levels.
“As always our approach in health education is to educate the children on the drug itself, what it does, what different forms (are out there), and how does it present itself in the human body,” said Joanne Grant, the town’s K-12 director of fitness and health. “I think Wellesley has been on top of this since last November when the vote went through.”
Educating the town’s youth is a collaborative effort among the town’s health educators, the Wellesley Police Department and the Wellesley Youth Commission, said Grant.
“We go into eighth grade and 10th grade health classes to speak with students about marijuana, alcohol and other harmful illegal substances that students may experiment with,” said Wellesley’s School Resource Officer Evan Rosenberg. “Maura Renzella (Wellesley’s youth director) will discuss situations when illegal substances are typically experimented with and encourage students to think about choices before they are in the moment.”
Rosenberg said that a WPD officer’s role is to talk about the laws and policies in place for handling varying degrees of involvement surrounding illegal substance use.
Even under the new law, students should have a strong understanding that marijuana use for them is illegal, he added. “Only medically approved persons with proper identification from the Department of Public Health (DPH) may possess marijuana if they are under 21-years-old.”
Last March, Grant said she had Rosenberg and WPD come in to train the town’s health educators at a K-12 department meeting on the nuances of the legalization of marijuana.
“It’s easy to send students a message that this (drug) can harm you in these ways when it’s illegal,” said Grant, but now that adults have legalized marijuana, “it gives the impression that marijuana is okay.”
“And we know that with any drug you take there’s always a risk,” Grant said. “So, the job is to teach (students) the risk whether a drug is legal or not.”
Foreseen consequences
“I am concerned that marijuana use is being viewed by students as a safer and more acceptable alternative to alcohol use,” said Rosenberg. “Some of the reasons are because marijuana use can be more easily concealed than alcohol and marijuana possession caries a less severe legal punishment than a minor with alcohol in possession.”
In addition, he said, “I have a concern that more drivers are operating under the influence (OUI) of marijuana because they feel that it is less detectable than OUI of alcohol.” Many drivers do not know that the legal response is the same for OUI alcohol and marijuana, said Rosenberg.
When it comes to consequences, Grant said, all things are to be considered.
“I think the fear with legalization is that use will go up, but do we know if that’s going to happen,” she said. “What consequences there may be are still unknown.”
The latest on policy
This summer, Governor Charlie Baker signed the marijuana compromise bill into law, allowing for regulatory structure to oversee the implementation of legal marijuana sales in Massachusetts.
According to a July 28 press release sent out by Marijuana Policy Project – the nation’s largest marijuana policy organization – the compromise bill’s most significant changes relate to local control and taxes.
Local government officials in towns that voted “no” on the 2016 ballot can ban marijuana businesses until December 2019. For towns that voted “yes” in 2016, any bans must be placed on a local ballot for voters to approve.
In the matter of sales tax, the maximum rate will increase from 12 percent to 20 percent. Under the new bill, the state tax will be 17 percent and the local option will be an additional 3 percent, amounting to a 20 percent tax on pot.
The new marijuana law is compromise legislation between the state’s House, who challenged to rewrite the original voter-approved law, and the state’s Senate, who proposed minor changes.
To date, it’s legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, but illegal to sell it in the state until July 2018.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Wellesley officials to address marijuana legalization with students - News - The Wellesley Townsman - Wellesley, MA
Author: Jennifer Zarate
Contact: Contact Us - The Wellesley Townsman - Wellesley, MA
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Website: The Wellesley Townsman: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Wellesley, MA
With students back in school, the Townsman spoke with local education and law enforcement officials to find out how they plan to address marijuana use at the middle school and high school levels.
“As always our approach in health education is to educate the children on the drug itself, what it does, what different forms (are out there), and how does it present itself in the human body,” said Joanne Grant, the town’s K-12 director of fitness and health. “I think Wellesley has been on top of this since last November when the vote went through.”
Educating the town’s youth is a collaborative effort among the town’s health educators, the Wellesley Police Department and the Wellesley Youth Commission, said Grant.
“We go into eighth grade and 10th grade health classes to speak with students about marijuana, alcohol and other harmful illegal substances that students may experiment with,” said Wellesley’s School Resource Officer Evan Rosenberg. “Maura Renzella (Wellesley’s youth director) will discuss situations when illegal substances are typically experimented with and encourage students to think about choices before they are in the moment.”
Rosenberg said that a WPD officer’s role is to talk about the laws and policies in place for handling varying degrees of involvement surrounding illegal substance use.
Even under the new law, students should have a strong understanding that marijuana use for them is illegal, he added. “Only medically approved persons with proper identification from the Department of Public Health (DPH) may possess marijuana if they are under 21-years-old.”
Last March, Grant said she had Rosenberg and WPD come in to train the town’s health educators at a K-12 department meeting on the nuances of the legalization of marijuana.
“It’s easy to send students a message that this (drug) can harm you in these ways when it’s illegal,” said Grant, but now that adults have legalized marijuana, “it gives the impression that marijuana is okay.”
“And we know that with any drug you take there’s always a risk,” Grant said. “So, the job is to teach (students) the risk whether a drug is legal or not.”
Foreseen consequences
“I am concerned that marijuana use is being viewed by students as a safer and more acceptable alternative to alcohol use,” said Rosenberg. “Some of the reasons are because marijuana use can be more easily concealed than alcohol and marijuana possession caries a less severe legal punishment than a minor with alcohol in possession.”
In addition, he said, “I have a concern that more drivers are operating under the influence (OUI) of marijuana because they feel that it is less detectable than OUI of alcohol.” Many drivers do not know that the legal response is the same for OUI alcohol and marijuana, said Rosenberg.
When it comes to consequences, Grant said, all things are to be considered.
“I think the fear with legalization is that use will go up, but do we know if that’s going to happen,” she said. “What consequences there may be are still unknown.”
The latest on policy
This summer, Governor Charlie Baker signed the marijuana compromise bill into law, allowing for regulatory structure to oversee the implementation of legal marijuana sales in Massachusetts.
According to a July 28 press release sent out by Marijuana Policy Project – the nation’s largest marijuana policy organization – the compromise bill’s most significant changes relate to local control and taxes.
Local government officials in towns that voted “no” on the 2016 ballot can ban marijuana businesses until December 2019. For towns that voted “yes” in 2016, any bans must be placed on a local ballot for voters to approve.
In the matter of sales tax, the maximum rate will increase from 12 percent to 20 percent. Under the new bill, the state tax will be 17 percent and the local option will be an additional 3 percent, amounting to a 20 percent tax on pot.
The new marijuana law is compromise legislation between the state’s House, who challenged to rewrite the original voter-approved law, and the state’s Senate, who proposed minor changes.
To date, it’s legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, but illegal to sell it in the state until July 2018.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Wellesley officials to address marijuana legalization with students - News - The Wellesley Townsman - Wellesley, MA
Author: Jennifer Zarate
Contact: Contact Us - The Wellesley Townsman - Wellesley, MA
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Website: The Wellesley Townsman: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Wellesley, MA
