ABSOLUTELY....OUR EARTH...OUR CURE!
All these chemicals dumped into our bodies for one thing damage 10 others. When I hear the ads on TV about a product, then the list of side effects, I can't imagine ANYONE taking ANY chemical and putting it into their body. We have enough of pollution, pesticides, floride and other man-made chemicals our body has to remove from our bodies with the effort of our liver and kidneys. So when there is a NATURAL, GOD_GIVEN remedy for a medical issue..then use it. THAT IS WHY GOD MADE IT...and, in this case, for other reasons,i.e. as a gateway to a spiritual connection, which it's use was unfortunately abused.

No way! Use of marijuana, 'medical' or otherwise, has already been decriminalized This law would just create a get out of jail card for dealers.

YES YES YES. While possession of less than an ounce has been decriminalized the police are still arresting people for "distribution."

I think that Marijuana is less harmful than alcohol - but that it should be regulated in much the same way - establish a legal age, monitor distribution, don't drive under the influence etc.
I would much rather be around those who are under the influence of marijuana than those who are drunk.

This is the most stupid debate of all time. Marijuana use is still illegal under Federal law, and states cannot "relax" laws regarding controlled substances. It is a very well known "gateway" drug, is 4x more potent today than it was back in my day, and has a trail of blood behind it that reaches all the way down to those poor people in Mexico.

There is a sub-culture of entrepreneurs out there who have been poised to make tons of money off this once they can sell their crops legally. So between special interest groups intent on destroying anything and everything that creates any sort of order in our society, to the growers who want to be up to their tie-dyed shirts in cash, and a true lack of beneficial sufficient medical data on this (and enough negative medical data, particularly around pulmonary function) -- this has to rank #1 on the "stupid" list.

So there are two answers:
"No"
and
"Why the hell are we even talking about this?"

Cut one more item from the black market legalize and tax the hell out of it just like tobacco..

The "trail of blood" has nothing to do with marijuana as a drug and everything to do with it being illegal. During Prohibition people were slaughtered in the street for the right to control the whiskey supply. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't heard of any recent gangland killings involving the Coors or Segrams families. Why do you think that is? Maybe because alcohol is legal? In the ridiculous "war on drugs" we have failed to prevent drug use even by people in maximum security prisons, so to try to do so in the general public is an obvious impossibility. I do not know of anyone who does not presently smoke pot who would start doing so were it made legal - I bet you don't either.

Pk I would start smoking pot if it was legal my job is to important to me to smoke it because it is illegal. What really kills me is some places won't hire you if you test positive for it which means you can't even smoke it on your own time because it is illegal!!

Diane I think you've got it right. Legalize it, regulate it and don't forget to tax it! It will reduce crime and decimate the Mexican trade for it. I for one don't like being around it anymore than I do cigarettes- -for similar reasons. But I think states can/should take the lead. Enough states legalizing it will prompt change at the federal level.

There is no material difference between pot and alcohol - so it should be legal.

For all the right winged "anti-govt" kool-aid drinkers, your basic tenets of less govt don't hold water when you regulate human behavior. Back off and let people do what they want to do. As long as it harms no one else, let it be.

NO WAY !!!!.... now healthy portion of the public (including kids) will be exposed to 2nd hand Marijuana smoking. There is no way to teach discipline of where and when one can smoke... so there you go, you have "sick" people wondering on the streets and public-building entrances with Marijuana. Black market will grow bigger with "trash" marijuana... Next thing is legalizing stealing for medical reasons and killing if it is necessary for organ donors. Way to go Commonwealth...

Absolutely yes. The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners. This is in large part due to ridiculously strict laws against Marijuana. The states are way ahead of the federal government in listening to the people, I was proud of my home state of Mass for decriminalization and I will be just as proud when Question 3 passes.

Should medical decisions be on voting ballots? Maybe this should be decided by the medical profession and not the political system.

... some one who has connections in " Law Making Lab." + " Marijuana making Plantation" wants this to be legal... so they can make money. And the friend of this someone is in Pharmaceutical industry... they need this too, so they can cure Marijuana related side effects.

This is a stupid question to have on the ballot. A waste of time. Why can't they put real questions on the ballot. They should just legalize marijuana, water it down, and tax the crap out of it. They can also fill it with crap like they do tobacco. It's no different than alcohol. If anything it could boost the economy. Grow it in the states which would create jobs. Food sales will go up. It has it's ups and it has it's downs. Just like alcohol.

Yes yes yes. To those who oppose, do your research. This wonderful plant can help people, maybe someone you know!

As a parent I think this is ridiculous and dangerous thinking! To consider legalizing something that is known as a gateway to harder drugs is just stupidity. Several years ago both Hamilton and Wenham had very active police officers that kept the area free of drugs but now it is clear that teens at HWRHS are exposed to marijuana at every turn because there is no fear of getting busted.

Legalize it, regulate it, and tax it for recreational use.

I try to avoid commenting on these types of articles because I feel that the Patch is supposed to be a news source, not a debate source. However, to anyone arguing the points that 1. Marijuana is gateway drug, 2. Marijuana is not harmful needs to step outside and take a look around. People are smoking marijuana left and right, and if you've seen or talked to these people, you'd know what a problem it is. They're completely unaware of their surroundings, they often have trouble breathing, and they're at risk of doing dangerous things because it somehow blocks them from seeing or what it's doing to them. It's illegal for a reason. Yes, alcohol can be abused too, but one alcoholic drink will not put you at risk as one joint would. If you want your kids smoking more weed, by all means, vote yes on Q3. Take it from someone who has seen it affect multiple people. This shouldn't even be on the ballot.

To anyone opposed (I don't smoke myself btw), I'd just like to point out that in the USA it is legal for doctors to prescribe derivatives of hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, but not marijuana, and it's been that way for a long time. Why aren't you putting up a stink about that? I'm sure you wouldn't complain about a doctor prescribing morphine (essentially heroin, derived from the same plant) to someone in pain. So why is it any different for someone suffering from cancer to be prescribed marijuana for their pain?

It doesn't make much sense to me... Hard drugs with extremely addictive qualities are prescribed heavily already and nobody complains... but try to legalize, for medical use, a drug with little to no scientifically proven addictive qualities and people get all up in arms... Doesn't compute.

I think the government is doing the right thing. It should be legalized. Imagine drug cartels in the U.S. like there are in Mexico? Have you watched any news footage on it? The killings are horrific. I could forsee that happening here and I think those in power have as well. So the government decides to work with the people instead of against them and they save alot of cash too.

Of course it should! Less harmful than alcohol and may be a help with pain, etc. of glaucoma, chemotherapy, etc. I know many who also smoke it recreationally to no ill effect.

Can we please make this a reality Massachusetts? We've spent so long needlessly and destructively pursuing marijuana users of all shades and wasted so much potential medical and scientific utility on misguided moralizing. It may not seem it to some, but this is a small issue on the state level that could go a great way toward effecting change in our society. Medical marijuana addresses ecological, economic, health, and justice issues in a profound way. I understand the issue some people have raised about vagaries and problems with the bill, but this has been used to keep the debate stalled for years. The time to legalize is now.

Wow ben c. Completely unaware of their surroundings? What a ridiculous statement! I'm a father of 3, I own a nice home in the suburbs, 2 cars, & I suoport a family of 5 on basically 1 income. I know several people just like myself, who use this wonderful plant for healing purposes, & we are doing just fine thanx. You need to do some research before you make a statement like that!

Calling this a gateway drug is just fear mongering. Drug abusers are going to find their way to the harder drugs with or without legal marijuana. With the taxes made off marijuana sales and the savings law enforcement would realize we could fund more programs for prevention and treatment of harder drug addictions.

This would also clear more space in prisons for sex offenders and violent offenders instead of crowding the jails with pot users and pushers.

It would reduce the overcrowding in prisons for sure, and it would also free up local law enforcement resources to focus on interdiction of heroin, through which nearby Lawrence is the major distribution hub of New England. Its proximity to the North Shore has created an oversupply of heroin, artificially driving down the black market price and inducing many first time users. This explains why heroin use surpasses meth use in Massachusetts, and especially the North Shore. If we can disrupt the New England corridor distribution route, we can make it more difficult for dealers to find new users. We can also use the money that we save from no longer incarcerating marijuana dealers, to spend on drug treatment and prosecuting heroin dealers, with room left to spare for hiring and training more teachers.