BUMP RIPS ‘NO OVERSIGHT’ FOR POT
State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump and marijuana legalization advocates are throwing water on a proposal to create an independent commission to regulate the newly legalized drug in the mold of the state Gaming Commission, which is not directly answerable to any department or elected official.
“It is not a good model,” Bump said on Boston Herald Radio yesterday. “The Gaming Commission is responsible to no one, to no one. There is no oversight of what they do.”
The law as it stands calls for state Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg to establish an oversight board. Although there is not yet a formal proposal to create an independent body to regulate marijuana, legislators on a committee mulling recreational marijuana regulations in the wake of last year’s successful ballot initiative have said they are considering the move. State House leaders, including Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, have said the Gaming Commission could be a good model.
Legalization advocates, already worried about changes, said a new commission is unnecessary and would cause further delays in the law’s implementation. Advocates note the treasurer’s office already oversees the alcohol industry.
“The best thing to do is emulate the regulatory structures that are already in place,” said Jim Borghesani, who was the spokesman for the Yes on 4 initiative. “Having a constitutional officer for the commission to answer to is very important for meeting timelines and regulatory guidelines.”
In a statement, state Sen. Patricia Jehlen, co-chairwoman of the committee, said no decision has been made.
Bump criticized the Gaming Commission for not having any direct supervision, saying it is “questionable” whether the commission is following laws and regulations, because there is no oversight.
“The Gaming Commission was appropriately designed by statute to be free from political influence. However, accountability and transparency are the bedrocks of our regulatory structure,” said Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission.