Proponents for legal recreational marijuana in two New England states have run into headwinds because of the region’s growing problem of opiate abuse.
The opiate outbreak has made New England lawmakers and public officials more wary of legalization, posing a potentially serious obstacle to the marijuana industry’s expansion in the region.
Vermont, for example, was widely expected this year to become the first state to legalize rec through legislation – versus a popular vote. But a legalization bill has stalled in the legislature amid concerns over opiates, which have led to the deaths of more than 2,000 people in New England over the past year, The New York Times reported.
In Massachusetts, heroin is the big worry, prompting the governor and the speaker of the state House of Representatives to mount a bipartisan effort to oppose a rec legalization measure being pushed by the Marijuana Policy Project, according to the Times.
If people could have access to Marijuana thay wouldn’t use drugs like opiates. I know that’s true with me ..ever since I was licensed for Medical Marijuana in 2007 I haven’t used opiates..9 years it’s been and the drug dealers can keep there haroin, ,and doctors can keep there pills and stick them were the sun don’t shine **
Marijuana Zero deaths ever
Opiates Twenty Thousand a year in just 1 state
WHAT does OPIATES got to do with marijuana?
Oh ya>> I see how they are related ?????
ARE YOU SERIOUS ???
What Does Heroin Have to do with Weed ?? The Two have NOTHING in common !!! Here we go again, Idiots Blaming WEED for the Worlds Serious DRUG problems.. Pot has NOTHING TO DO With Heroin !
We don’t need to go Backwards and start placing the blame on pot again, there has been over 70 years of that, it’s time to stop it now!
DO NOT BLAME POT FOR HEROIN PROBLEMS! They are as Different as Night and DAY! ANYONE WHO THINKS OTHERWISE NEEDS TO PULL HIS OR HER HEAD OUT OF THEIR ASS!..
Wake up and stop Blaming Weed/Pot for HARD DRUG Addiction !!!
Johnny V..
people need opiates because they are in pain or just stupid…bad drug….bad people….
i personally have got 3 people completely off of opiates with the use of marijuana..this can be true of most people who are in pain..the others just give it to them free and poof most will be gone….
i wonder how many of the Politicians and naysayers own shares in big pharma or other industries that will loose business once weed is properly available
you have to be intentionally ignorant to not be able to see the value of MJ as opposed to opiates
but as a Canadian it has been my observation the disease of willful ignorance runs rampant in the US..
bassackwards
MJ is an answer, a tool in the toolbox, to opiate abuse problems and not a cause or aggravation of them. MJ opponents are using the opiate crisis to leverage people’s fear and (willful?) ignorance of those facts to malign MJ legalization. It’s that simple.
MJ should be used to get people off heroin. Conservatives leading with blind ignorance are behind the stall I’m sure. A majority of people hooked on heroin start the addiction by visiting their local pharmacist (drug dealer) and getting 1000 opiate pain pills. They use the drug for pain and it works great! But, opiates are an extremely addictive drug but they get it from a doctor so it should be ok. Some will start to take more than prescribed because they build up a tolerance. When the pills and prescription run out and they still have chronic pain the doctor gives them more pills. Taking 15-20 pills a day for chronic pain. Now we have a full blown addict and they don’t even know it. All they know is they need the pills to get rid of the pain. The doc says no more pills. Now what? Start doing Heroin, the cheaper alternative! Same active ingredient, Opium. You can get it on the street. Big Pharma is in the pockets of the politicians watching their own backs not yours.
Cannabis Sativa and Indica are great pain relievers,and not half as debilitating as opiates.And yes B Rad a wonderful way to take the edge off an opiates or alcohol jones when DTs strike from coming off the Oxys or smack.