Category Archives: commentary

This Fourth of July weekend, be safe, be considerate

Happy Fourth of July weekend!  At least here at the homestead in Gray, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful, marvelous weekend.  I anticipate a weekend of grilling, sprinklers, and maybe a round of mini-golf.  Here’s hoping you and yours are able to enjoy some fund activities this holiday weekend. Of course, two popular activities […]

These three things could ease the opiate epidemic right now

As was reported by the Bangor Daily News, a week ago the Maine Opiate Collaborative unveiled its final report on the recommendations it was making to fight the opiate crisis in Maine.  The Maine Opiate Collaborative consists of three task forces, law enforcement, treatment, and prevention, that were convened by U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty after […]

The failed promises of marijuana legalization, cautionary tales for Maine

BDN File

If you’ve been following this column, and my comment section and page visits makes clear many of you are, you know I’ve written extensively about the failure of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington.  Well, this week has seen multiple stories highlighting yet more negative consequences from legalization along with failed promises from legalization advocates. […]

Marijuana would worsen, not improve, the opiate crisis

Back in October 2015, U.S Attorney Thomas Delahanty recruited around 3 dozen professionals from around Maine to sit on the three task forces making up the Maine Opiate Collaborative.  The law enforcement, treatment, and prevention task forces were to charged with developing comprehensive, evidence-based strategies to address the worsening heroin crisis.  Along with my fellow […]

Overruling of Secretary of State will encourage more fraud in citizen’s initiative process

Good Saturday to you, after a bit of a blogging sabbatical I am back. In case you missed the news (which would be hard because Maine media outlets have been posting articles to social media practically every hour), Justice Murphy overruled the Secretary of State’s invalidation of the marijuana referendum petition.  The initiative is now […]

Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol petition drive should be investigated

BDN File

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to hear of the news that the petition from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol was ruled invalid and would not qualify for the November 2016 ballot. This is great news for communities and public health in Maine.  This result provides some solace that, at least for another election cycle, […]

Marijuana legalization supporters attempt to silence opposition through intimidation and stigma

The other Bangor Daily News blog that writes about marijuana, Cannabis Today, published an article bemoaning “simplistic rhetoric.” In her article, Wellness Connection’s Becky DeKeuster takes issue with Representative Deborah Sanderson’s reference to the potential Wal-Martization of the marijuana industry in Maine. Wellness Connection, which runs half of Maine’s dispensaries, takes issue with that label. More […]