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A majority of Massachusetts voters agree: medical marijuana should be available to patients who need it. Unfortunately, according to Dig reporter Chris Faraone, the Boston city council is trying to slow down the process. In its zeal, it appears as if the city has even gotten the local fusion center into the act. Yes, that's the same fusion center we found spied on Howard Zinn, a former city council member, and various peace and justice organizations, maintaining ‘intelligence’ files about them marked things like “HOMESEC-DOMESTIC” and “EXTREMIST”.

Who better to spy than these professionals? From Faraone’s take-no-prisoners report of yesterday's city council hearing on medical marijuana licensing:

At one point, members even welcomed news that the Boston Regional Intelligence Center–the police division tooled to counter terrorism and coordinate with federal authorities–will be providing background research on facility operators.

Does the BRIC also provide “background research” on abortion clinic doctors, pharmacists, and pediatricians? Of course not. Why is the government singling out medical marijuana providers? Can we also look forward to BRIC agents using license plate readers to track medical marijuana patients, and keeping files of dissidents who partake in the toke for health reasons? Chilling effects, indeed.

Read Faraone’s report to see how local politicians are grandstanding in an apparent effort to muck up a process the Massachusetts electorate couldn’t more clearly support. Then watch the video embedded above to see who is suffering as a result of this embarrassing foot-dragging.