AG Coakley Endorses Medical Marijuana
June 30, 2009
The Patriot Ledger
BOSTON — Attorney General Martha Coakley expressed her support for the use of medical marijuana, "only with a prescription," during an appearance on the Eagan & Braude radio show on WTKK-FM Tuesday.
During a 40-minute interview with hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, Coakley was asked about the New Hampshire Legislature's passage of a bill allowing chronically ill patients to receive medical marijuana, and her take on the possibility of a similar measure in Massachusetts.
"I think doctors should be able to prescribe what they need to for pain, for keeping people healthy," said Coakley. "I don't like to see it as a loophole, just say, 'Oh yeah, it's medical marijuana so people can use it.' I just have concerns. Again, I've always said it's about kids, it's about workplaces, it's about safety. But if doctors feel it's appropriate to prescribe it, I don't personally have a problem with it."
Coakley was a prominent opponent of Question 2 in 2008, a statewide ballot initative that decriminalized the possession of an ounce or less of pot and made it a civil offense with a $100 fine.
Question 2 also gave towns and cities the option to make public use of pot a crime. The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security urged communities to do so, and Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office drafted a model ordinance they could use. | 
