In Their Own Words: Mike Cerullo

What are the chances Rhode Island will be the first New England state to proceed with cannabis taxation and regulation?
Unlikely this year. Vermont or possibly Massachusetts [will be] first, but it may not be any state as more and more info on what’s really happening out west along with more and more concrete, high level scientific research becomes available.
Would legalization make the job of the police easier or harder?
At least as hard and in many ways very likely harder. The attorney general and police [are] best able to answer this, but based on my awareness of what has happened (eg, black market activity, traffic fatalities) [it will be] harder.
How would marijuana legalization impact the heroin epidemic and the use of other illegal drugs?
With respect to substitution, there is growing evidence of substitution of prescription opiates with heroin, but none to date of marijuana replacing heroin. In fact, the fastest growing population for use of both heroin and marijuana in Colorado is college-aged (18 to 25).
And emerging neuro-scientific studies suggest significant heroin seeking and sensitivity in adolescents of moms who use before or during pregnancy. These are animal studies and we need to see how this is playing out in humans now. I have seen one study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association that indicates that 4% of adolescents who use marijuana before age 17 become addicted to heroin whereas only 1% those who begin after age 17 do. But these studies were conducted when “super high potency pot” was less available in the pre-legalization days. In reality, a Harvard researcher noted that cannabis and heroin affect the same brain regions in pretty much the same ways, so it would not surprise me if we learn with certainty that there is no substitution effect. And, because there have been so few human studies to date, the Rand Corp suggests waiting at least 5 years before any decisions are made regarding this issue or the overall question of legalization for recreational use.
Do you think marijuana legalization should be decided by lawmakers or public referendum?
I’m not sure it matters. Either way, this decision has invited an obscene amount of money from out of state – big marijuana money – to come in and attempt to impose a ‘cannabis culture’ on us. We need to oppose these forces for a long enough period that allows us to make a rational, responsible, evidence-based decision.
Are there any legal industries in our state that would be hurt by the legalization and taxation of marijuana?
Every industry that wants and needs to hire dependable, motivated employees will be hurt. Electric Boat executives have already indicated how hard it is to find qualified individuals who can pass required drug tests.
What do you think of the governor’s proposal to tag and tax each plant grown for medicinal purposes?
It is unfair to those who legitimately need the proven benefits of CBDs. It is a ‘user’ tax on medical and health care services. Medicinal marijuana users are not like hunters or fishers or beach-goers.