Search Results for: marijuana

As a Boston, Massachusetts drug crimes lawyer, I believe quite strongly that the Massachusetts court system, and our Massachusetts law enforcement operations, waste their time and resources when it comes to making arrests over the possession of marijuana. In my professional opinion, marijuana is a harmless drug that’s non-addictive – and yet, the court system, […]

This coming November, Massachusetts residents will vote on a ballot question concerning medical marijuana. And now, opponents of medical marijuana have claimed that the standing version of the ballot question is misleading. Justice Robert J. Cordy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, on June 7, ruled in favor of the opponents. Because of his decision […]

In my previous post, I reported on the SJC’s ruling last week, restricting police authority to order the operator or occupants of a stationery vehicle to exit the vehicle, based solely upon the odor of marijuana. In their ruling, the SJC emphasized that the public’s approval in 2008 of the ballot initiative decriminalizing personal possession […]

This past week saw a major decision announced by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC,) on the subject of the presumption of criminal conduct being associated with the use of marijuana. The ruling, Commonwealth v. Cruz, Mass. SJC No. 10738, overturns precedent, establishes a major new benchmark in this area of law, and represents a […]

When it comes to drug policy and criminal law, some states in this country move faster, and more intelligently, than others. Two of those more rational states right now happen to be our New England neighbors, Connecticut and Rhode Island. I’ve blogged previously about how wasteful and counterproductive state and federal laws are that criminalize […]

Media Reports that Boston police seized almost a ton of marijuana earlier this week, will be seized on by marijuana opponents as dramatic evidence of a serious problem in our society – one that must be eradicated no matter what the cost to taxpayers, no matter what the waste in police and prosecutorial resources. From […]

In my last post on this subject, I explained the legal changes soon to take place in Massachusetts (probably early January 2009) in the area of marijuana possession and use. Police officials in Massachusetts, understandably, are now publicly expressing concern that they have no idea exactly how to enforce this new law. Among the questions […]

Now that voters in Massachusetts have overwhelmingly approved (by a 65% to 35% margin) last week’s November 4, 2008 statewide ballot initiative, it falls to the state’s chief prosecutorial and law enforcement officials to “iron out” the new procedures and legal protocols necessary to shift away from the decades-old criminal law enforcement scheme for marijuana […]

Looking ahead to possible legislative changes to criminal law in Massachusetts, in November voters here are going to have an opportunity to vote on more than just the presidential election alone. One of the ballot questions in Massachusetts will ask voters if possession of a small amount of marijuana (one once or less) should be […]