Last night, I was at a town meeting in Hamilton, where residents were outraged to learn that a 65,000 square foot “medical” marijuana grow facility is being proposed for a local residential area. This industrial behemoth would consume more water than 60 new homes and flood our neighborhoods with marijuana. The CEO of the pot farm promised to pay for Hamilton to hire a D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) officer as part of his contractual kick-backs to the town. Even the elementary school kids this officer would interact with are savvy enough to see through such blatant hypocrisy.
As MFI works to help communities opt out of pot shops and grow facilities, we find that many town and city officials are blinded by promised tax revenues and don’t have a full understanding of the major health risks of today’s marijuana. That’s why we’re encouraging people to come to the JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on June 5th for an important educational presentation entitled ”Marijuana: Addiction, Mental Health and Policy-Advances in Research. What Have We Learned in the Past 5 Years?” The event highlights Alex Berenson, author of Tell Your Children: The Truth about Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence. (If you haven’t read his groundbreaking article in the Wall Street Journal from earlier this year, it really is an eye opener!)
Consider bringing any of your town leaders in government, education and the church to help them understand our shared concern about the dangers of today’s marijuana. MFI has been partnering with churches across Massachusetts to help them understand how to work with their local government to OPT OUT. Today, about 100 towns and cities in Massachusetts have opted out! Let’s continue the momentum before pot shops start growing like weeds!!
