The city of Boston is sending a strong message and smell to local families: you’re not welcome on
the Common this weekend while thousands
ofpotheads gather together
to toke up en masse during
the Hub’s annual weed festival.
Of course, local cannabis lovers would prefer we call it the 28th annual “Boston Freedom Rally.”
Little kids whose parents took them out for a family daytrip to enjoy the Common carousel or Frog Pond playground yesterday probably added “contact high” to their list of fond memories from a Saturday spent visiting the city with their folks. And considering this is one of the last warm weekends of the year, it’s a real shame that many parents found themselves forced to avoid the area altogether.
What’s more disturbing is the pot-smoking free-for-all took place just days after police officials vowed to crack down on drug use — including marijuana — on the Common. Despite their tough talk, which came on the heels of a brazen daylight shooting near the Parkman Bandstand Tuesday, thousands of weed aficionados were out there smoking joints and puffing on bowls yesterday as parents, children and tourists looked on in disbelief.
Just because Bay State voters legalized pot for recreational use doesn’t mean you should have to inhale it on every street corner and public space. Like drinking alcohol, it’s still very much illegal to smoke marijuana in public — though the festivalgoers who gathered yesterday didn’t seem toget the memo.
Local officials can’t pretend to care about the next generation while turning a blind eye to the fact that the air on the Common is filled with pot smoke.
And before pot shops start popping up around the city, our lawmakers need to drop this laissez faire attitude and condemn smoking weed in public.
Yesterday’s rally was a perfect opportunity for our local law enforcement to make good on their vow to take a hardline stance on the drug dealing, drug use and the all-to-common sight of addicts either under the influence or passed out as little kids pass by on their scooters.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh, who was infuriated by the possibility that a bystander could have been hit by a stray bullet Tuesday night, has promised tomake a multi-million dollar renovation to the area next year. But it’s clear officials need to improve the culture of the public park before making cosmetic changes.
New benches and playgrounds won’t make a difference if our kids are sharing the new seats with a guy puffing on his vaporizer in public.
Yesterday’s festival was yet another reminder that providing safe and healthy environments for families is not the city’s top priority.
Walsh was completely against the ballot question legalizing pot and just because it passed doesn’t mean potheads can break the law.
