TORI: TONIGHT ON GREATER BOSTON, LOCAL AND ACTIVISTS ARE MEETING TO CALL FOR MORE SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF YOU -- GANG VIOLENCE AND INCARCERATION.

SHALEEN TITLE, WHO WROTE THE BATTLE IT QUESTION -- THE BALLOT QUESTION THE LEGALIZED READ, IS SETTING HER SIGHTS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

IT HAS BEEN A DEADLY YEAR IN AMERICA INCLUDING IN MASSACHUSETTS.

16 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MURDERED IN BOSTON AND THE CITY'’S LARGEST NEIGHBORHOOD IS ALSO ITS MOST AFFECTED, DORCHESTER.

FIVE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SHOT AND KILLED THEIR UP FROM TWO AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR.

THE MAYOR'’S OFFICE PROMISES TO CUT HOMICIDES BY 20% IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

THAT WOULD BRING THE CITY TO A 25 YEAR LOW.

A FINAL PLAN IS EXPECTED THIS MONTH, HIGHLIGHTING YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED BY GANG VIOLENCE.

IT IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR LOCAL ACTIVISTS, A GROUP OF WHOM WILL MEET THIS WEEK IN DORCHESTER TO CAMPAIGN FOR BETTER OUTREACH.

JOB PROGRAMS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.

ORGANIZERS WILL SCREEN PARTS OF A 2020 DOCUMENTARY THAT SPOTLIGHTS FIVE YOUNG GANG MEMBERS IN BOSTON AND THE EFFORTS OF SOCIAL WORKERS AND MENTORS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE.

>> WE LOST OUR FIRST FRIEND AT 15.

2004.

LOST ANOTHER.

2005, LOST ANOTHER ONE.

>> THESE YOUNG MEN NEED TO SEE A POSITIVE IMAGE OF WHO THEY COULD BE.

>> WE NEED TO TEACH YOUNG BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE.

TORI: I'’M JOINED BY ONE OF THE PEOPLE FEATURED IN THE DOCUMENTARY, DONALD OSGOOD SR., INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAUMA TEAM NETWORK, AND RUTH ZAKARIN, THE HOST OF THURSDAY'’S EVENT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FILM.

I FEEL LIKE WE ARE AT A MOMENT IN BOSTON WHERE WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, WE TALK ABOUT HOMICIDES AND THINGS HAVE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENTLY LOW IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS BUT IF YOU TALK TO ANYBODY LIVING IN THE MOST AFFECTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN DORCHESTER, JAMAICA PLAIN, IT DOESN'’T FEEL LOW.

WE HAVE HAD A FEW HIGH-PROFILE CASES INVOLVING KIDS AS YOUNG AS 14 IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

HOW DID THIS MOVIE COME ABOUT?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT NOW A COUPLE YEARS OUT AS WE ARE SEEING IN RECENT YEARS, THIS SPIKE CRIME?

-- IN YOUTH CRIME?

DONALD: THE FILM WAS INITIALLY TO RAISE MONEY TO KEEP STREETS SAFE BOSTON IN OPERATION.

THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE STREET WORKERS.

ONCE THEY STARTED COMING UP WITH A FEW OF US, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WANTED TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

SO COACH DENNIS AND RUDY DECIDED LET'’S TELL THE STORY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM A LIFE.

MAKE THE HUMAN SIDE SEEN.

SO THEY STARTED WORKING ON THAT AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE HAD A LOT TO SAY.

YOU LOOK AT IT FROM TWO YEARS, WE ARE TALKING, WE STARTED DOING THE FILM IN 2013.

SO IT DIDN'’T GET RELEASED UNTIL 2020, BUT FROM 2020 UNTIL NOW, WE ARE MISSING STREETS SAFE BOSTON.

IT SHUT DOWN IN 2015.

2014, BEGINNING OF 2015.

SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN DIFFERENT.

WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF UNCONVENTIONAL THINGS.

THERE WERE NO UNIONS TO REACH BACK.

SOMETIMES WE WERE TALKING TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHEN SHOOTINGS HAPPENED TO MAKE SURE NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED, NO RETALIATION.

TORI: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS WORK?

DONALD: UNOFFICIALLY, I WAS DOING THIS WORK IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHOUT THE CITY I GREW UP IN.

IN 2013I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH STREETS SAFE BOSTON WHICH ELEVATED THE WORK I WAS DOING, AND NOT ONLY WAS I WORKING WITH THE YOUTH, I WAS ALSO DOING RESPONSE WORK WITH STREETS SAFE BOSTON AND WE PARTNERED WITH VIOLENCE INTERVENTION ADVOCACY PROBLEM AT BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER WHERE WE RESPONDED TO JUST ABOUT EVERY SHOOTING AND STABBING.

I DID THAT FOR SIX YEARS BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO THIS INSTITUTE, WHICH HELPS FAMILIES IN THE FIRST 24-74 HOURS UP A HOMICIDE.

TORI: I'’M INTERESTED IN YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

WE TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBERS, MURDERS ARE DOWN OR SOME OF THESE HIGH-PROFILE CASES INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE.

IT IS ALARMING.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED, DO YOU FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW, THERE IS THIS CRISIS?

WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE CITY IS RESPONDING, DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEVIN HAYDEN HAS LAUNCHED A COUPLE EFFORTS TO TRY TO RESPOND IN SOME WAY AND THERE IS SUPPOSEDLY SOME COMING OF MOVEMENT -- KIND OF MOVEMENT HAPPENING.

THERE ARE ACTIVISTS WORKING TO CREATE A UNIFIED MOVEMENT.

I'’M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK WE ARE SEEING THAT WE HAVEN'’T SEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

OR WHAT IS REQUIRED NOW IF WE ARE REACHING A POINT OF CRISIS.

RUTH: I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE STATISTICS DON'’T TELL THE FULL STORY OF THE TRAUMA PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MOST AFFECTED.

THE NUMBERS CAN ONLY TELL US A LITTLE BIT AND I THINK THAT IS THE POWER OF THIS FILM, IS TELLING THOSE STORIES OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SHOWING UP DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE.

ULTIMATELY IF WE HAVE ONE DEATH FROM GUN VIOLENCE, ONE FAMILY BEREAVE, ONE COMMUNITY TRAUMATIZED, WE HAVE A CRISIS.

WE SHOULDN'’T HAVE ANY DEATHS FROM GUN VIOLENCE.

THERE ARE WAYS TO MAKE THE NARRATIVE DIFFERENT.

THIS IS A MOMENT OF RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, THAT THIS SHOULD BE A SOLVABLE PROBLEM AND WE ARE ABLE TO SOLVE IT.

TORI: I COVERED A DIE-IN THAT WAS ORGANIZED AND KIDDING -- KIDS, YOUNG KIDS FROM DORCHESTER, ROXBURY, WENT OUT AND THEY WERE REALLY INVESTED IN DEMONSTRATING AND SHOWING THEY TRULY CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT IS MEANINGFUL TO THEM.

I FOUND IT POWERFUL BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES, THERE ARE A COUPLE NARRATIVES.

ONE IS THAT COMMUNITIES HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS FOR THEMSELVES, WHICH IS FLAWED BECAUSE THAT WOULDN'’T BE POSSIBLE.

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF GENERATING FROM COMMUNITIES.

ALSO THE PEOPLE DON'’T CARE IN THESE COMMUNITIES AND THESE KIDS WERE SHOWING THAT PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY DO CARE AND ARE FED UP.

THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND I APPRECIATE THE NAME OF THE MOVIE, BECAUSE THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO OVER AND OVER HAVE TOLD ME IT BECOMES NORMALIZED.

IT'’S SOMETHING WE EXPERIENCE AND WE DON'’T HAVE TIME TO PROCESS THE TRAUMA OF ONE KILLING BY THE TIME THE NEXT, WE HEAR ABOUT THE NEXT ONE OR THAT WAS YOUR FRIEND OR LOVED ONE OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER.

I'’M CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR TAKE AWAY FROM THAT EVENT AND THE SIMILAR PUSH YOU HAVE SEEN.

RUTH: TINA HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS CONVERSATION.

THE IDEA, THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT IS THAT THEY STOPPED TRAFFIC BECAUSE BUSINESS SHOULDN'’T GO ON AS NORMAL WHEN PEOPLE ARE DYING AND EXPERIENCING TRAUMA.

THE WAY THEY ENGAGED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS SYMBOLIC OF WHAT COALITION BUILDING IS.

YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A STRONG VOICE , BUT ADULTS HAVE TO KEEP SHOWING UP FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADDING OUR VOICES TO CALLING FOR SOLUTIONS AND MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN.

TORI: THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS, THE MOVIE WAS MADE IN 2020 AND THERE WERE CALLS AROUND THAT TIME AND DURING THE PROTESTS IN THE WAKE OF THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD, TO REMOVE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS FROM SCHOOLS IN BOSTON.

I'’M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ABOUT THAT AND THE EVOLUTION OF THAT AND THE ROLE OF POLICE.

BECAUSE I HAVE LOOKED AT HOW VIOLENCE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES SINCE BOSTON HAD THIS SPIKE OF YOUTH VIOLENCE IN THE 1970'’S AND 1980'’S, WE SAW THE BOSTON MIRACLE WHERE HOMICIDES WERE BROUGHT DOWN I THINK 65% PER MONTH AND A LOT OF THAT WAS CREDITED TO RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVISTS HAD WITH POLICE AT THE TIME AND THE OVERALL EFFORT THROUGH THE CITY, THIS ORGANIZED EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

I WONDER, DO YOU THINK WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT EXIST BETWEEN POLICE AND ACTIVISTS AND ADVOCATES AND THE CLERGY AND EVERYBODY, DO YOU THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET BACK TO THAT?

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE WORKED TOWARDS?

DONALD: I THINK IT'’S POSSIBLE.

I THINK IT WILL TAKE A LOT MORE WORK THAN WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS MOMENT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON AND I THINK DURING THE GEORGE FLOYD ERA, THE DEFINED THE POLICE, THE MESSAGE WAS WRONG.

MAYBE IT SHOULD BE A CRY FOR RESTRUCTURING, MORE TRAINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT RELATIONSHIPS.

I CAN'’T DO THE WORK I DO WITHOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IT'’S NOT A TWO WAY THING.

LIKE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SOMETIMES WILL GIVE US THINGS WE NEED TO SUPPORT FAMILIES, BUT WE DON'’T GIVE INFORMATION.

OTHERWISE, WE COULD BE PUTTING OURSELVES IN HARM'’S WAY AS WELL.

SO I THINK THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

THE TRUST BUILDING IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, PULLING OUT THE RESOURCE OFFICERS AT THE TIME I THINK WAS A BAD IDEA, BUT I KNOW RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE WORKING ON ADDING MORE YOUTH WORKERS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH I THINK WILL BE GREAT.

MY ONLY CONCERN IS, DURING THE SUMMERTIME, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO.

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF JOBS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, PRIVATE AND CITY JOBS, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

BUT SOME YOUNG PEOPLE DON'’T WANT TO DO THAT.

SO I THINK REALLY, WRAPPING AROUND AND WORKING TOGETHER, THE LAST THING I WILL SAY TO THAT, IF WE AS COALITION BUILDING, WE START TO WORK TOGETHER, AND WE LEAD THE YOUNG PEOPLE BY EXAMPLE, I THINK THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A GREAT ASSET BECAUSE YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY FOLLOW WHAT THEY SEE.

IF WE WANT TO SEE THEM DO THE RIGHT THING, ADULTS HAVE TO DO THE RIGHT THING AS WELL.

TORI: MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING IN COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE.

THE BOSTON GLOBE HAD AN ANALYSIS OF POLICE INTERACTIONS SINCE 2016 AND I THINK 51 OUT OF 88 OF THEM WERE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

I WONDER HOW THAT KIND OF FALLS, I KNOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ADULTS IN THAT CONTEXT AS WELL BUT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN SCHOOLS ACTING OUT AFTER COVID, THAT WAS TRAUMATIZING.

THIS COMPOUNDING VIOLENCE AND TRAUMA, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

YOU MENTIONED BRINGING IN YOUTH WORKERS WHICH I THINK IS PROBABLY KEY.

DONALD: WITH MENTAL HEALTH, I FEEL -- ONE OF THE THINGS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, I HAVE TWO YOUNG SONS.

THEY ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THE 2020, COVID, GOING TO SCHOOL FROM HOME.

I THINK THAT HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON A LOT OF THE KIDS BECAUSE THERE WASN'’T THAT, I DON'’T GET TO SEE MY FRIEND IN PERSON.

WE ARE SEEING EACH OTHER ON ZOOM OR WE CAN'’T GO OUTSIDE.

ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.

YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TO MOVE AROUND.

I THINK 2020 JUST KIND OF PUSHED ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE DOWN.

THEY MADE IT THROUGH TO GRADUATE, AND KUDOS TO THEM, BUT THE MENTAL HEALTH PIECE AND POLICE I THINK IS MORE TRAINING.

WE HAVE TO UTILIZE NEW TECHNIQUES.

OUR OLD TECHNIQUES DON'’T WORK BECAUSE THIS IS JUST A NEW TIME, A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE A STRONGER VOICE THAN THEY DID.

NOWADAYS -- IN OUR DAY, IT WAS DUE AS I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO.

NOW, YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE.

IF I DON'’T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE DOING I'’M NOT GOING TO DO IT AND IF I'’M NOT GOING TO DO SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHY.

WORKING ON BEING CULTURALLY COMPETENT WHEN DEALING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, HAVING MORE THERAPISTS AND TEACHERS THAT LOOK LIKE THE YOUTH THEY SERVE, THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THING THAT WILL BE A HUGE HELP IN BRIDGING GAPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH, BUILDING -- BRIDGING GAPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, BRIDGING GAPS WITH COMMUNITY VIOLENCE.

THE LAST THING I WILL ADD, WE DON'’T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT MEDIATION, TEACHING PEOPLE MEDIATION TECHNIQUES, TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE HOW TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, THAT THERE IS A WAY TO DO IT WITHOUT RESORTING TO VIOLENCE.

DONALD: ONE OF THE -- RUTH: ONE OF THE POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE FILM, IT TELLS THE STORY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AND HIGHLIGHTS HOW MUCH TRAUMA THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH.

YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH VIOLENCE AND THE THINGS THAT CAME BEFORE THE VIOLENT INCIDENT HAPPENED.

I'’M A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN BY BACKGROUND AND I DID TRAUMA RESPONSE.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT VIOLENCE PREVENTION OR ANY KIND OF PREVENTION, IT'’S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SAFE AND WELL.

WE CAN'’T EXPECT THEM TO BE SAFE AND WELL IF THEY DON'’T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES.

I THINK A LOT ABOUT HOW ARE WE RESPONDING TO THIS TRAUMA THAT COLLECTIVELY, YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED, AND INDIVIDUALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES?

HOW ARE WE ADULTS SHOWING UP TO SUPPORT THEM?

TORI: WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE DON'’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS ISSUE?

WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND?

YOU WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

DONALD: I THINK ONE OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS IS THAT MOST OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ANIMALS, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

I DON'’T THINK I HAVE MET A PERSON ON THE PLANET WHO WOKE UP AND SAID I THINK I'’M GOING TO DIE TODAY, OR I THINK I WANT TO GET SHOT TODAY OR STABBED TODAY.

THAT IS THE FIRST BEGINNING TO REALLY HUMANIZE PEOPLE.

WE ARE ALL HUMANS.

IF WE DON'’T HAVE THE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE, THE SYSTEM IS STACKED AGAINST THEM.

UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND THAT, WE WILL GO AROUND IN CIRCLES AND COME UP WITH THIS OR THAT PLAN BUT REALLY, CHANGING A LOT OF THE LAWS, WHICH HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT AND -- IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE IT IS DESIGNED TO DO WHAT IT DOES, BUT KNOWING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY LOVE THEIR MOMS.

THEY LOVE THEIR DADS.

THEY LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, THEY LOVE THEIR NANAS.

MOST TIMES YOU WILL SEE A YOUNG PERSON PORTRAYED, THEY ARE 14, YOUNG BLACK MEN, 14, A BLACK CHILD AT 14 BUT HE IS A BLACK MAN WHEN HE IS PORTRAYED IN THE NEWS MEDIA.

SEEING THEM AS CHILDREN AND NOT ANIMALS, THAT IS WHAT THE FILM DID.

SEE THIS YOUNG FELLA?

SEE HIM PLAYING WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND HOW MUCH FUN HIS DAUGHTER IS HAVING WITH HIS DAD -- WITH HER DAD THAT SHE LOVES.

TORI: DONALD OSGOOD SR. AND RUTH ZAKARIN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

DESPITE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS AND LEGALIZATION IN 23 STATES, CANNABIS IS OUTLAWED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

THE ACTIVIST WHO WROTE THE 2016 BALLOT QUESTION THAT LEGALIZED THE DRUG IN THIS STATE IS FOCUSING HER EFFORTS ON THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.

SHALEEN TITLE SERVED ON THE STATE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF THE INDUSTRY AND IS HO CHING -- HOSTING A CRASH COURSE ON THE FIGHT FOR FEDERAL LEGALIZATION AS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF PARABOLA CENTER.

SHE JOINS ME NOW.

THANKS FOR COMING ON AND TALKING ABOUT THIS.

SHALEEN: THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

TORI: WHERE ARE WE NOW?

DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF HOW FAR WE ARE FROM FEDERAL LEGALIZATION OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA?

SHALEEN: A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE IT AS INEVITABLE.

IT IS UNCLEAR AT THIS POINT HOW MANY YEARS IT WILL TAKE, BUT THE DESIGN, THE STRUCTURE IS BEING BUILT NOW AND THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN ABOUT IT AND GET INVOLVED.

TORI: WHEN YOU SAY THE DESIGN AND THE STRUCTURE, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM LEGALIZATION ACROSS STATES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS?

IN MANY WAYS I THINK WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR WHAT, SEVEN YEARS?

SHALEEN: SINCE 2016.

TORI: IT SOMETIMES FEELS LIKE WE ARE STILL LEARNING AND FIGURING IT OUT, LIKE IT IS THE WILD WEST.

IN TERMS OF MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR FEDERAL LEGALIZATION, WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL FOCUS ON?

SHALEEN: THERE ARE TWO SETS OF CONCERNS, ONE FROM CANNABIS AND OTHER FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES.

MASSACHUSETTS IS PRETTY FAR AHEAD BECAUSE SEVEN YEARS OF DATA IS A LOT.

WE LEARNED IT IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT MONOPOLIZATION AND PROMOTE EQUITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

THERE IS A LOT OF LESSONS ESPECIALLY ON EQUITY.

WE LEARNED CAPITAL IS IMPORTANT, REAL ESTATE, THESE LESSONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES, WE DON'’T WANT TO SEE THE PROBLEMS WE SAW IN BIG TOBACCO AND BIG PHARMA.

PEOPLE INTUITIVELY UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT THE REASON WE NEED A CRASH COURSE ABOUT IT IS BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE A BROAD MOVEMENT TO KEEP THESE FEW COMPANIES FROM COMING IN AND TAKING OVER AND REALLY RUINING ALL THE PROGRESS THAT WAS MADE IN PLACES LIKE MASSACHUSETTS.

TORI: EVEN IN MASSACHUSETTS, WERE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON EQUITY PROGRAMS, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE FOUND IT HASN'’T NECESSARILY DELIVERED ON THE PROMISE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN INCARCERATED FOR VICTIMS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS, THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS THE FIRST IN LINE TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE LICENSES OR GAIN CAPITAL.

THE CAPITAL AS YOU MENTIONED IS A HUGE ISSUE.

IF YOU DON'’T HAVE THE MONEY, HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER?

EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE LICENSES AND YOU GO THROUGH THE RED TAPE.

PEOPLE ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE EQUITY, SO WHEN YOU SAY WE HAVE LEARNED THOSE LESSONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, IS IT FAIR TO SAY WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF THEM THE HARD WAY?

SHALEEN: YES.

BUT WE ARE AVOIDING MORE HARD LESSONS TO COME.

WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE ABOUT FEDERAL LEGALIZATION IS, IT WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING.

WHAT WE CAN DO IS USE THESE LESSONS AND SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, CAPITAL IS IMPORTANT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY STATE IS ADEQUATELY FUNDED FOR EXPUNGEMENT ON LOANS AND GRANTS AND THESE THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, THE WAY WE ARE HEADED, THERE ARE A FEW CORPORATIONS LEADING ON WHAT WILL BE IN THESE FEDERAL BILLS.

THAT IS JUST WRONG.

IT IS ALSO FOOLISH, BECAUSE IT DOESN'’T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THESE STATES'’ LESSONS.

THAT'’S WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS AND WHY WE ARE HAVING A CRASH COURSE FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'’T HAVE THE TIME TO DIG INTO THIS BUT MAYBE THEY HAVE A FEW HOURS A YEAR AND THEY CAN COME AND LEARN, AND MAKE SURE THE LEGALIZATION IS RIGHT.

WE CAN ONLY DO THIS ONCE, AND THAT WILL BE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE MARIJUANA MARKET AND LAWS WILL BE BUILT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

TORI: I KNOW WE ARE SAYING WE DON'’T MAY BE KNOW WHEN, IT FEELS LOOMING BUT WE DON'’T KNOW WHEN FEDERAL LEGALIZATION WILL COME.

YOU MENTION CORPORATIONS WAITING IN THE WINGS.

WHO IS MORE PREPARED THAN THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE?

WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN TO THEM WHEN FEDERAL LEGALIZATION COMES DOWN?

WHO IS THAT AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

WHAT PREPARATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE?

SHALEEN: THE GOOD THING IS, THE LEGALIZATION MOVEMENT STARTED IN THE 1970'’S AND 1980'’S BY A SMALL GROUP OF AIDS ACTIVISTS.

IT IS GREAT THAT THIS IS TAKING PLACE BEFORE THE PRIDE PARADE BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ONES IN SAN FRANCISCO WHO STARTED ALL OF THIS BY SAYING IT IS CRUEL WE ARE ARRESTING MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE LEGAL MARIJUANA IN MANY PLACES NOW.

WE HAVE 40 YEARS REALLY OF ACTIVISTS WORKING HARD.

IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, AS WE ARE 90% OF THE WAY THERE, AMAZON STARTED LOBBYING.

BIG TOBACCO STARTED MAKING ACQUISITIONS AND BASICALLY THEY ARE POISED TO SAY WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO PUSH IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND MAKE IT SO THE MARIJUANA PLANT IS SOMETHING THAT A FEW COMPANIES CAN MONOPOLIZE FOR PROFIT.

PEOPLE INTUITIVELY UNDERSTAND THAT'’S NOT WHAT WE WANT.

WE WANT TO HONOR THE VISION OF THESE ORIGINAL ACTIVISTS.

AND WHAT PEOPLE WANT, TO PROTECT PATIENTS, CONSUMERS, WORKERS.

THAT IS WHAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT ON SATURDAY.

TORI: ONE ISSUE THAT HAS COME UP A LOT GENERALLY IN THE CASE OF MULTISTATE OPERATORS OR THESE BIG CORPORATIONS THAT OWN A LOT OF SHOPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN STATES WHERE IT IS LEGAL, SAFETY ISSUES.

AT HARVARD A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE WAS, THEY DID A THING WHERE THEY TESTED, THIS PROFESSOR AT A LAB TESTED A TON OF DIFFERENT SAMPLES FROM DIFFERENT SHOPS AND FOUND THINGS DIFFERED IN TERMS OF THC LEVEL, THERE WERE CONTAMINANTS THAT HAD , THEY SAID THEY TESTED OUT BUT WEREN'’T.

THERE IS A REAL KIND OF RANGE IN TERMS OF QUALITY IN LABS THAT STILL NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH HERE, I THINK.

HOW DO THOSE ISSUES, BECAUSE THAT PLAYS INTO WORKER SAFETY AND SAFETY FOR CONSUMERS BECAUSE CONSUMERS DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GETTING.

THE WHOLE REASON WE WANTED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA WAS SO YOU COULD BUY SOMETHING YOU KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

IF THAT LABEL ISN'’T NECESSARILY ACCURATE, THAT'’S A HUGE ISSUE WE ARE DEALING WITH HERE AND IN OTHER STATES WHERE LEGALIZATION IS THE CASE.

HOW IS THAT BEING THOUGHT ABOUT IN THE CONTEXT OF FEDERAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION?

SHALEEN: IT'’S A HUGE ISSUE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE THE NATIONAL POLICY DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. W UNION, WHICH REPRESENTS CONVERSE WORKERS, -- CANNABIS WORKERS, COMING TO TALK ON SUNDAY.

IF WE LET THIS BE A FREE-FOR-ALL AND DON'’T INTENTIONALLY TAKE STANDARDS AND WORKER PROTECTION INTO ACCOUNT, NO ONE WILL PROTECT THEM.

CERTAINLY NOT CORPORATIONS, WHICH BY THE WAY, BECAUSE IT IS FEDERALLY LEGAL, THE LARGEST CORPORATIONS ARE NOT INVOLVED YET.

THE ONES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE QUITE SMALL AND WE ARE STILL SEEING MANY PROBLEMS.

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN WE HAVE LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED.

TORI: EVEN ON THAT SCALE, COMPARATIVELY IT MIGHT BE A BIG MULTISTATE OPERATOR IN TERMS OF THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY BUT IT ISN'’T AN AMAZON WAREHOUSE FULL OF MARIJUANA PLANTS WHICH I GUESS IS WHAT IS THE HOPE OF SOME OF THE CORPORATIONS.

SHALEEN: EXACTLY.

THAT'’S WHAT WE CAN PREVENTIVE RESTART NOW.

TORI: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON AS -- AT THE CRASH COURSE?

SHALEEN: PROTECTING MEDICAL PATIENTS IS HUGE.

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO STARTED THIS WHOLE MOVEMENT, BUT IF WE WIND UP WITH A MONOPOLIZED INDUSTRY THEY WON'’T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR MEDICINE AND WON'’T GET THE STRAINS THEY NEED BECAUSE IT ISN'’T PROFITABLE ENOUGH.

INSURANCE WON'’T COVER THEM.

THAT IS IMPORTANT.

WORKER SAFETY, WE WILL TALK ABOUT PROTECTING INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS AS WELL.

SENATOR WARREN AND SENATOR MARKEY ARE GIVING SPECIAL MESSAGES TO OPEN THIS BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF FAIRNESS AND COMPETITION AND HOW BIG OF AN OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO DO THIS RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, THE SHORT WINDOW WE HAVE.

TORI: THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY TO BE MADE, BUT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT RETURNING TO THE ROOT OF WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, LIKE IN THE 1970'’S YOU MENTIONED.

LIKE THIS AS MEDICINE.

SHALEEN: MEDICINE AND COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE, ABSOLUTELY.

TORI: SHALEEN TITLE THANKS FOR JOINING ME AND BEING HERE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THEIR WORK AND THIS SATURDAY'’S EVENT, HAD TO PARABOLACENTER.COM.

THAT'’S IT FOR TONIGHT.

I'’M TORI BEDFORD.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

GOOD NIGHT.

GOOD NIGHT.

>> EDGAR: WAIT, DID I JUST COMMIT A CRIME?

HEY, FOLKS.

I'’M EDGAR B. HERWICK III FROM GBH'’S CURIOSITY DESK, WHERE YOU ASK QUESTIONS AND I FIND ANSWERS.

TODAY'’S QUESTION COMES COURTESY OF BETTY DAVIS FROM GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, WHO WANTS TO KNOW, IS IT IN FACT A CRIME TO REMOVE THESE LABELS?

NOW, YOU FIND THESE GUYS ON PILLOWS, MATTRESSES, EVEN A LOT OF WINTER COATS.

AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE WHAT IS INSIDE OF THOSE ITEMS.

NOW TODAY, PILLOWS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE USUALLY STUFFED WITH FEATHERS OR COTTON OR SOME KIND OF SYNTHETIC MATERIAL.

BUT, ACCORDING TO MAGGIE TERRY, BACK IN THE DAY THEY PUT SOME PRETTY GNARLY STUFF IN THE STUFFING.

MAGGIE: I MEAN, IT USED TO BE YEARS AGO, THEY'’D THROW ANYTHING THEY WANTED TO INTO THE BEDDING.

NEWSPAPERS, DIRTY RAGS -- EDGAR: HORSE HAIR, USED HOSPITAL OR HOTEL MATTRESSES, CORN HUSKS -- MAGGIE: SWEEPINGS OFF THE FLOOR, PART OF YOUR LUNCHES, DROPPINGS.

I MEAN, ANYTHING.

EDGAR: FOR STARTERS, THAT'’S DISGUSTING.

AND FURTHERMORE, IT'’S DANGEROUS AND UNHEALTHY.

SO TODAY, A LOT OF STATES REQUIRE THESE LABELS THAT TELL YOU WHAT IS INSIDE OF THE ITEM.

AND IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO REMOVE THEM, SORT OF.

RETAILERS AND MANUFACTURERS CAN BE FINED IF THEY REMOVE THE LABELS, BUT ONCE YOU BUY IT, OR I BUY IT, IF YOU READ CLOSELY, MOST OF THESE END WITH THE LINE, "EXCEPT BY THE CONSUMER."

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.

FEEL FREE TO RIP AWAY.

DON'’T FORGET TO FOLLOW, AND TELL US WHAT YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT, BECAUSE, HEY, I MIGHT JUST LOOK INTO IT FOR YOU.

I'’M EDGAR B. HERWICK III.

STAY CURIOUS OUT THERE.