Top elected officials from both parties at the federal, state, and local levels will team up next month for a rare bipartisan fund-raiser, hoping to block a ballot measure that would legalize marijuana for recreational use in Massachusetts.
Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, US Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy III and Niki Tsongas, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo are among those listed on the invitation for the Oct. 6 luncheon fund-raiser in Boston.
The event will raise money for Safe and Healthy Massachusetts, the ballot committee gearing up for a November vote on Question 4.
Advertisement
The state has already changed its laws to permit medicinal marijuana and decriminalize possession of small amounts.
Proponents say passage would ease racial imbalances in drug prosecutions, help those looking to escape opioid addiction, and increase state revenue because marijuana sales could be taxed. Opponents argue that marijuana – particularly in candy-like edible form – is a gateway drug for young people, that easier access would pose public health risks, and that the measure was written to benefit the commercial marijuana industry.
Among those listed on the fund-raiser’s host committee are House Ways and Means chair Brian Dempsey, House Minority Leader Brad Jones, and district attorneys from six counties.
Tickets for the event range from $1,000 to $10,000.
Jim O’Sullivan can be reached at jim.osullivan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JOSreports.