Amendment ID: S2090-63

Amendment 63

Research

Messrs. Lewis, O'Connor and Moore move to amend the bill by striking section 19, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

SECTION 19. Said chapter 94G, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after section 14 the following section:-

Section 15. (a) The commission shall develop a research agenda in order to understand the social and economic trends of marijuana in the commonwealth, to inform future decisions that would aid in the closure of the illicit marketplace and inform the commission on public health impacts of marijuana. The research agenda shall include, but not be limited to: (i) patterns of use, methods of consumption, source of purchase, and general perceptions of marijuana, including consumption in combination with other substances; (ii) incidents of impaired driving, hospitalization and use of other health care services related to marijuana use including a report of the state of the science around identifying a quantifiable level of marijuana-induced impairment of motor vehicle operation and assessing other evidence-based methods for identifying marijuana-induced impairment; (iii) economic and fiscal impacts for state and local governments, which shall include the impact of legalization on the production and distribution of marijuana in the illicit market as well as costs and benefits to state and local revenue and the impact of the marijuana industry on at-risk populations; (iv) ownership and employment trends in the marijuana industry examining participation by racial, ethnic and socio-economic subgroups, including identification of barriers to participation in the industry; (v) a market analysis examining the expansion or contraction of the illicit marketplace and the expansion or contraction of the legal marketplace that includes estimates and comparisons of pricing and product availability in both markets; (vi) assessment of the impact of marketing strategies used by marijuana retailers on attitudes towards and levels of use of marijuana, especially among youth; (vii) a compilation of data on the number of arrests, prosecutions, incarcerations and sanctions imposed as a result of violations of chapter 94C for possession, distribution or trafficking of marijuana or marijuana products, including identification of race, gender, country of origin, state geographic region and average sanctions of the individuals charged; (viii) assessment of the effectiveness of prevention strategies, including educational campaigns, in publicly-funded mass media campaigns, and school- and community-based prevention programs; and (ix) an assessment of the role of marijuana use in relation to abuse and addiction, especially in relation to the use of prescription and non-prescription opioids.

(b) The commission shall incorporate available data into its research plan, including the baseline study conducted pursuant to chapter 351 of the acts of 2016, and coordinate and form partnerships with the department of public health, the executive office of public safety and security and the executive office of labor and workforce development. The commission shall annually report on the results of its research agenda and, when appropriate, make recommendations for further research or policy changes. The commission shall publish the first such report not later than July 1, 2019.