YouSpeak: Should Medical Marijuana Be Legalized? Ballot initiative could make it happen in Massachusetts

On November 6, Massachusetts residents will vote on a ballot initiative that would legalize medical marijuana. The controversial measure would allow people with glaucoma and chronic illnesses that cause severe pain to buy marijuana, with a doctor’s written recommendation, at designated dispensaries.

The proposal has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Committee for Compassionate Medicine, and the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, but the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) opposes the ballot question, noting that “there is insufficient scientific information about the safety of marijuana when used for ‘medicinal purposes.’”

If the ballot initiative passes, Massachusetts would become the 17th state to allow the medical use of marijuana.

With the election just seven weeks away, this week’s “YouSpeak” asks: Should medical marijuana be legalized?

“YouSpeak” typically appears each Monday.

If you have a suggestion for a question we should ask, post it in the comments section below.