“I don’t want to change what voters did back in November,” said Newburyport City Councilor Steve Hutcheson. His comment came after he received a copy of the outline for a state suggested ordinance that would see a marijuana specific ban on public consumption. Since the new law decriminalizing the use of marijuana came into effect Jan 2, 2009 police in Newburyport and issued 7 $100 citations.
The Newburyport Daily News quotes Lt. Rick Seimasko of the Newburyport Police Department as saying
I find it unfortunate that Massachusetts is getting soft on drugs. People smuggling drugs is a violent profession. Law enforcement officers are dying to enforce drug laws, and I find it unfortunate Newburyport is getting soft on drugs.
and Sgt. Steve Chaisson of the Newburyport Police Department as saying
The people have spoken, but I feel smoking in public is just wrong. Marijuana is a gateway drug no matter what people say.
Comments on the article run heavily in favor of the police doing what they are told and keeping their own prejudices and opinions to themself. The article makes no mention of what the police view concerning the ingestion of marijuana by eating it is, nor how they would view a bakery that sold food that contained cannabis.
Fri 9 Jan 2009