Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 22, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 11 Keep marijuana legal U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Cole Memo, a federal guideline suggesting the federal government not enforce federal marijuana laws in states with legalized marijuana. In Massachusetts, medical marijuana is already legal, and companies can begin applying to open recreational marijuana shops in April. Those stores can open in July. The Massachusetts marijuana business is projected to be a $1.1-billion industry by 2020. When polled, WBJ readers overwhelming said the federal government should stay out of the state pot business. F L A S H P O L L Should federal marijuana laws be enforced in Massachusetts?? COMMENTS: Partially. People operating outside the state law like bulk traffickers still need to be brought to justice. 23% No Massachusetts voted to legalize it and state's rights should matter. 57% Yes. It's classified by the Drug Enforcement Agency as a Schedule I drug and is still illegal federally. 20% "They knew this could happen and took the risk. I have no sympathy for them." "Supposedly, Republicans are all about states' rights and self-determination. It appears this is only true when they agree with what a state is doing. When it comes to abortion, marijuana and guns, they feel the federal laws should be paramount. I hate hypocrisy from either party and AG Sessions' actions reek of it." "I personally did not vote in favor of legalizing marijuana. However, since the state did pass it into law, the state's rights should matter." LET OUR RETIREMENT PLAN EXPERTS CHART YOUR FIRM'S PLAN For more than 20 years, Worcester-area businesses have turned to Bartholomew & Company for our proven approach as independent retirement plan specialists. With our industry knowledge and designations, we provide the depth of experience and guidance your firm needs to manage its fiduciary obligations and the investment options, services, and overall value your participants expect to help them retire with confidence. For a customized retirement program that encourages your employees to save more and plan smarter, contact the experts who are right in your community. Contact Peter McManus today for a complimentary consultation at peter@bartandco.com or 508.753.8807. Visit www.bartandco.com to learn more. PLAN WISELY. INVEST CONSERVATIVELY. LIVE WELL. 370 MAIN STREET, SUITE 1000, WORCESTER, MA 01608 | 508.753.8807 Securities and advisory services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network ® , Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser. yet decided if the company will expand to recreational marijuana. The Cannabis Control Commission regulations will ensure companies are adhering to the law was approved by Massachusetts voters in November 2016, which should protect the industry from prosecution, Barber said. Despite these assurances from state officials, the complexity with selling a product the federal government views as illegal poses challenges, he said. "It's something that people in the industry tend to not get used to, but it does happen often," he said. Kris Krane, co-founder of 4Front Ventures, which controls a license to operate a medical marijuana grow site and dispensary under construction in Worcester, said Sessions' efforts haven't changed the company's plans just yet. Krane credited the company's resolve to the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, a 2014 federal budget rider preventing the federal government from cracking down on the medical cannabis industry. Sessions is petitioning to have the law removed. "We expect it will remain in place," Krane said. Getting legal federally Sessions' stance on marijuana may have the opposite effect, Krane said. "It's really galvanized a lot of folks in D.C., particularly Republicans, who had been quiet on the issue to now call for some sort of fix," Krane said, citing Colorado GOP Senator Cory Gardner vowing to be a thorn in Sessions' side. That fix could include extending medical marijuana protections to recre- ational, or removing marijuana from the classification of harmful drugs. "There's a realistic possibility that this happens," Krane said. Public support is behind legal canna- bis, according to the Pew Research Center, which said in January 61 per- cent of the American public favors legalization vs. to 37 percent opposed. Barooshian, the Bowditch attorney, likened the political climate surround- ing marijuana to Prohibition, when public support and the lure of tax dol- lars produced legislative action to allow for the sale of alcohol again. "If the demand is there, it's going to get filled," Barooshian said. "It can get filled legally, or we're going to go back to the days of Al Capone." W

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