Is medical marijuana a prescription for disaster?

(MyFoxBoston.com) – Massachusetts voters passed a law legalizing medical marijuana, but things are not up and running just yet.

The new law gave the Department of Health 120 days to decide on statewide regulations; however, with the clock ticking, the smoke has yet to clear on just how medical marijuana will be doled out across the Bay State.

"There are a lot of details we think we should have before we tell our physicians to start doing it," Dr. Richard Aghababian, the President of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said. The Massachusetts Medical Society is an organization that represents the doctors who will issue medical marijuana certificates.

Aghababian said some physicians will need guidance on several key issues, including what conditions would be appropriate for medical marijuana, how many times a patient would need to be seen before being prescribed it, how much of the drug a patient should get, and whether or not it should be made available to children.

Cities and towns are preparing along with the medical community. The law allows for 35 dispensaries which is at least one in each county.

More than a dozen communities have already taken preemptive measures to regulate pot shops.

Kristin Kassner, the planning director in Burlington, said voters held a town meeting and chose a zoning moratorium of more than a year to buy more time.

As the Department of Public Health moves forward, state Senator John Keenan said he is trying to put on the brakes. He is working on getting the law delayed and getting tighter restrictions.

Massachusetts is the 18th state to legalize medical marijuana.

Cox Media Group