Attorney General Says Massachusetts Ballot Question Puts 'Profits Ahead Of People'

Massachusetts top law enforcement official went on the offensive Thursday against the legalization of recreational marijuana, arguing that the marijuana industry would resist curbs on the potency of its products and always put profits ahead of people.

Question 4 on Tuesdays ballot would legalize possession of small amounts of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older and allow for retail sales of the drug, including in the form of edibles such as cookies or candy.

Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, is among several high-profile elected officials opposed to the ballot initiative, a list that also includes Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Bostons Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh.

Question 4 isnt just about legalization - its about commercialization, said Healey, who was joined by health care professionals who oppose the measure at a Beacon Hill news conference.

The measures language includes no specific limits on the potency of THC, the pyschoactive chemical in marijuana, for products sold in the state. Critics say todays marijuana is generally at least six times more potent than it was in the 1970s.

Maura Healeys concern has no basis in fact and is yet another scare tactic to stop voters from putting the criminals who control the (marijuana) market today out of business, said Jim Borghesani, a spokesman for the group Yes on 4.

Marijuana companies have already signaled their intent to fight any restrictions, Healey said.

Potency limits might actually be better for people, but they are bad for profits, theyre bad for the bottom line and theyre bad for a billion-dollar industry that will always put profits ahead of people, the attorney general said.

If approved, the ballot measure would create a Cannabis Control Commission to regulate recreational marijuana in Massachusetts. Backers say the commission ...