Senator weighs in on drug issues
State Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) joined “Morning Meeting” to talk about taxing marijuana and the benefits of potential safeinjection facilities.
Q: Can you talk about your frustrations with taxing marijuana at 28 percent?
A: I was someone who was very motivated to support Question 4 ... I want to destroy that illicit market in the substance, which I think drags a lot of kids into trouble, meaning dealing marijuana, and we want to make that a legal market. And, so we want to give the legal market every possible advantage, because it is competing with an established illegal market, and I think taxing it is a disadvantage.
Q: What about the idea of incentivizing the communities to allow them to come in?
A: I think the incentives are positive as well.
Q: What feedback have you received regarding the legislation for the safe places to get high?
A: Let me just stop you there in the way you just framed that, as “safe places to go get high.” What we’re talking about in the safe injection facilities go, is basically a quasi-medical facility. ... You’re a person with an addiction and you’re about to use some substance that’s from a new supplier or not familiar to you, you can go and do what you’re going to do under the discreet observation of a nurse or otherwise trained professional, and not die. ... The reason so many people are dying from overdoses is because they have no idea what they’re shooting up or how potent it is.
Q: Are the nurses going to test the drug before use to make sure it doesn’t have fentanyl in it?
A: The street addicts do have test kits. ... They all have fentanyl in it, the question is measuring the potency, and that’s beyond the capacity of anything quick. ... There’s only one of these operative in North America right now. It’s up in Vancouver, and it’s been studied to death, and what it has shown is that it is actually an opportunity to bring people into treatment. The problem is not so much a lack of beds, the problem is recruiting those people into those beds in a voluntary way that makes them want to stay in those beds and get well.
Q: Mayor Marty Walsh is not on board. Have you found other mayors who are open to this idea?
A: I certainly am speaking to cities and towns. And I do agree that ultimately this goes no place unless there is a city or town who wants one.