Just as quickly as Massachusetts medical marijuana was poised to propel the state to the forefront of progressive healthcare treatments, questionable state practices are putting a damper on dispensaries looking to set up shop across the commonwealth. The Department of Public Health doled out 20 dispensary licenses at the end of January, but it’s recently come to light that contentious conflicts of interest may send the DPH back to the drawing board.
Given that medical marijuana is uncharted territory for Massachusetts, it’s only natural that implementing such legislation would result in a few kinks that would subsequently need to be ironed out. But the lack of attentive care and astute meticulousness in the first go-around of this new process is borderline alarming.
For starters, DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett failed to disclose her past relationship to former Massachusetts Congressman William Delahunt, presenting what can easily be construed as a conflict of interest. Delahunt, of course, was awarded three of the coveted 20 licenses. And it wasn’t until the final weeks of the decision process that the past relationship between Bartlett and Delahunt came to light.
On Tuesday, it was discovered that Sgt. Martin B. Kraft of the Boston Police Department is expected to play a significant role in safety, security and transportation measures with Green Heart Holistic Health & Pharmaceuticals Inc., one of two dispensaries awarded licenses for Boston, specifically. What’s most interesting, though, is that Boston Mayor Marty Walsh apparently had no idea aboutKraft’s post-retirement plans, according to the Boston Herald.
Mayor Walsh’s office has indicated to BostInno that he opposes all-things marijuana, both of the medical and recreational variety. He has made it clear, though, that small marijuana offenses ought to be viewed in terms of substance abuse treatment, as opposed to the traditional punishments, fines and even jail time.
In an ironic twist, Sgt. Kraft is a 31-year veteran of the force and former Drug Control Unit detective.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick sat down with WCVB On The Record reporter Janet Wu on Sunday, wherehe essentially contended that the process is, and ought to be, a model for the nation to follow. Wu asked Governor Patrick if he thought the relationship between Bartlett and Delahunt was an issue, in that, despite the fact that Bartlett was not the one to make the final application decisions, it wasn’t until 10 days before the awarding that she gave that responsibility to her deputy.
As you’ll see in the video below, Governor Patrick thinks “this is a process that has been remarkably and wonderfully transparent… the process has been terrific.”
It’s difficult to take the governor’s opinion of the process at face value, given thebrewing controversy surrounding the entire licensing process. But assuming more questionable ties to candidates and conflicts of interests aren’t revealed, and the medical marijuana licensing system is tightened up, Governor Patrick’s notion that Massachusetts could be a national leader is certainly an attainable goal.
