This regressive ban will lead to high-cost lawsuits at taxpayer expense. Prohibitionists are spreading FALSE information - DON'T FALL FOR IT. Get the facts below.
CLAIM: Medical marijuana is not affected under articles 13, 14 and 15.
FACT: False! More and more medical cannabis patients do not want or cannot afford to go through the process of acquiring a state-issued medical card, along with the annual fee. They want to be able to purchase therapeutic cannabis just as they can purchase non-prescription medicine at a CVS. The ban would HURT these patients.
CLAIM: There will be little economic benefit to Brewster.
FACT: False! Every town in every state that has legalized has benefited from significant new tax revenues and new jobs. With average cannabis location sales at $7 million, Brewster could gain $420,000 in new revenue each year from just ONE retail store. Contrary to opponents’ claims, no towns in any legal state have seen increases in public health, public safety or administrative costs.
CLAIM: Cannabis stores are all-cash businesses posing safety, audit and security vulnerabilities.
FACT: False! NO Massachusetts medical or recreational cannabis stores are cash-only. ALL have debit card processing services. Under state law, there are strict audit and security procedures in place.
CLAIM: Traffic, public health and public safety are real concerns.
FACT: False! The real threat to public health and public safety is untested product sold by criminals who don’t check IDs. No public safety, public health or traffic issues have been recorded in ANY town with legal cannabis stores.
CLAIM: Legal cannabis store staff often have no prior marijuana scientific education or experience.
FACT: False! State law requires extensive training and ongoing education for all cannabis employees, and all must demonstrate thorough knowledge of every product available in the store.
CLAIM: A dozen cannabis facilities could operate in Brewster.
FACT: False! Current zoning makes it impossible for this many businesses to operate. The town can limit retail locations to two. This is a fear tactic used by prohibitionists.
CLAIM: Most Cape Cod towns have implemented bans for the good of their towns. Why wouldn’t Brewster do the same?
FACT: These bans will do nothing to keep cannabis out of these towns. They will only keep criminals in charge and expose consumers and first responders to dangerous—even deadly—product. Bans are NOT good for towns. Bans are good only for criminals. Why would Brewster want to emulate bad decisions?
CLAIM: Brewster is not prepared to safely, effectively or successfully manage a dozen or more cannabis facilities.
FACT: False! There will not be anywhere close to a dozen facilities, and Brewster—just like every other MA or US town that has gone before it—has the ability to safely manage these facilities in full cooperation with state regulators.
CLAIM: The details of the bylaws allowing limited cannabis establishments were not fully disclosed to voters. A dozen facilities could operate in Brewster.
FACT: False! The bylaws were thoroughly discussed at numerous committee meetings. Again, the “dozen facilities” charge is a pure fear tactic.
CLAIM: There are safety and security issues for residents, visitors, vendors, transporters and consumers.
FACT: False! No facility, medical or recreational, in any legal state has experienced security issues or threats to any of these groups. The mandated security at cannabis facilities far exceeds any other business in Massachusetts.
CLAIM: The community character and image of Brewster will change.
FACT: False! This is a common myth spread by prohibitionists. Not a single town in any legal state has reversed its decision to host a cannabis facility. Not a single town has reported any “image change.” These businesses have blended in with the community and have become good civic and commerce neighbors. Have package stores in Brewster changed the town’s character and image?
CLAIM: Traffic will increase and be unmanageable.
FACT: False! Other towns have put in place smart traffic plans, just as they do for any other business. There is no evidence anywhere of traffic problems related to legal cannabis facilities. Traffic study after traffic study show that retail cannabis stores present no different traffic concerns than other retail stores of equal size.
CLAIM: Home values will diminish
FACT: False! This is another common prohibitionist fear tactic. Not a single study or report has found any decrease in home values in towns or states with legal cannabis businesses.
CLAIM: There will be additional burden on law enforcement.
FACT: False! By displacing the criminal market, legal cannabis sales will EASE the burden on law enforcement. No town in any legal state has seen an increase in law enforcement budgets or operations due to legal cannabis commerce.
CLAIM: There will be additional burdens on first responders.
FACT: False! Legal cannabis has NOT led to any increase in public safety responses anywhere. Replacing dangerous, untested product with tested, safe product will INCREASE the safety of first responders.
CLAIM: There will be negative impacts to children and teens.
FACT: False! This is another common prohibitionist fear tactic. The true danger to children and teens are street dealers who don’t check IDs and don’t care how young their customers are. Teen use has NOT increased in any legal state.
CLAIM: There will be an effect on “demographics.”
FACT: This is another common tactic, with racist overtones. The goal is to suggest that “undesirables” will invade a community if it has a legal cannabis store. This innuendo is despicable and not supported by any data.
CLAIM: There will be a drain on precious resources (energy, environment and water).
FACT: False! All cannabis businesses will have to remain fully compliant with all local, state and federal environmental laws and regulations. NO cannabis facilities in MA or any other state have been proven to pose any negative impact to local resources. The water is recycled and reused. Any remaining grey water is held in a tight tank and trucked away. A golf course has far more impact.
CLAIM: There are unknown financial expenses for the town and its infrastructure.
FACT: False! No towns have experienced unexpected financial or infrastructure expenses. ALL have experienced new revenue and new jobs, usually far exceeding original projections.
CLAIM: These are untested business models “speculating unsubstantiated revenue…and little economic benefit.”
FACT: False! Since legalization began in 1996, thousands of cannabis businesses have operated with solid business plans approved by state regulators that have produced significant new tax revenues. ALL towns have gained revenue far exceeding any possible expenses they’ve incurred.
CLAIM: “Risk-related products” without the benefit of an established recall system.
FACT: Nonsense. There are strict testing, labeling and packaging regulations in place, including tracking numbers and codes, so recalls are easily achievable.
CLAIM: Good manufacturing practice is not a mandate for cannabis businesses.
FACT: False! Massachusetts has enacted the strictest manufacturing regulations of any state, exceeding regulations covering any business with who follow good manufacturing practice guidelines.
CLAIM: Cannabis are cash-only and have self-reported accounting.
FACT: False! No cannabis facilities are cash only, and all must adhere to strict accounting and auditing procedures set by the Cannabis Control Commission.
CLAIM: Increased crime and risk to cash-carrying consumers.
FACT: False! This scare tactic ignores the fact that there have been NO increases in crime around legal cannabis stores and NO crime committed against cannabis customers of those stores. Again, no stores are cash-only.
CLAIM: Consequences to rental property sales.
FACT: False! Just as there have been no impacts to property values anywhere due to legal cannabis, there have been no impacts on rental property. In fact, canna-tourism is providing a major boost to legal states.
CLAIM: Quality of life will be impacted.
FACT: False! By displacing criminals, quality of life is enhanced. There is no evidence anywhere of legal cannabis impacting any quality of life issues.
CLAIM: Attraction and novelty nuisance.
FACT: No Massachusetts town or any other town in a legal state has reported any nuisance due to “attraction” or “novelty.” All have reported significant new tax revenues and new jobs.
CLAIM: Marijuana establishments are contrary to the Town of Brewster Vision Plan 2018 and the Comprehensive Plan.
FACT: Any new business that created new jobs and significant new tax revenues is a boost to any town’s economic plan.
CLAIM: OUIs will increase and vehicle insurance will increase.
FACT: False! There have been no increases in cannabis-intoxicated driving in any legal states. A flawed study by a anti-cannabis interest group reported higher insurance rates in some legal states compared to bordering states, but FAILED TO MENTION that insurance rates were higher in those states even BEFORE legalization.
CLAIM: Public health is “our responsibility when we endorse recreational marijuana establishments particularly related to edibles, beverages, smoking and second-hand smoke, vaping, underage sales and use, and sharing with minors.”
FACT: ALL of these concerns are best addressed by a legal system that takes sales away from dealers who don’t check IDs, and by a legal system that mandates child-resistant packaging for all product. Keeping criminals in charge of commerce THREATENS TEENS AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
Why are some working to enable criminal drug dealers by giving them complete control of marijuana sales in Brewster? Why don’t some believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol? If people can go into a liquor store and buy a bottle of alcohol and drink it at home legally, then why do some say that the use of this other substance is somehow criminal?
See what's being said in legal states below - the sky didn't fall anywhere...Prohibition is over!
Regarding Adult use of recreational Cannabis
“There are a certain number of folks, like myself, who were pretty reticent about it to begin with, but the sky didn’t fall. Everything seems to be working pretty well.”
Many prohibitionists predicted that Washington and Colorado would experience serious public safety problems when voters made history by approving initiatives to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in November 2012. More than five years later, those predictions have not come to pass, and many law enforcement officials and regulators believe that things are going quite well. Why would you think it would be any different in Brewster?
“Anarchy does not reign in Colorado because of marijuana legalization. The streets are orderly and peaceful. Hundreds of successful small businesses that employ thousands have been created through this new industry. The marijuana business, like any other adult consensual activity, is infinitely better as a legal enterprise rather than as a criminal offense.”
Given his firsthand experience, why would one think we will have a problem here in Brewster?
“Our state’s efforts to regulate the sale of marijuana are succeeding. A few years ago, the illegal trafficking of marijuana lined the pockets of criminals everywhere. Now, in our state, illegal trafficking activity is being displaced by a closely regulated marijuana industry that pays hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. This frees up significant law enforcement resources to protect our communities in other, more pressing ways.”
Why would one assume Brewster would be any different?
From a crime standpoint, there was nothing to enforce anymore and the sky didn’t fall. It was business as usual and no big deal.”
“From a law enforcement and criminal justice reform perspective the legalization of marijuana in Colorado, both medical and adult use, has had a positive impact on the lives of citizens living in Colorado, as well as reducing the overall burden on law enforcement and our criminal justice system. In Colorado the total number of marijuana court cases fell from 39,027 in 2011 to only 2,036 cases in 2014. These individuals who were NOT arrested for marijuana offenses represent 36,991 human lives and families that won’t be affected by the negative stigma and financial burden that a marijuana arrest can have. It allows these otherwise law-abiding Coloradoans to remain productive members of society, contributing their worth to the greater good of the state.”