 New Hampshire residents are going to have to wait a bit longer on recreational cannabis.
A state review committee unanimously rejected a bill that would have legalized recreational cannabis, which means it will most likely not be passed by the state Senate. The bill had been passed by the state house of Representatives earlier this month but not by a large margin. The review committee did have some Senators in their group who support cannabis legalization, but they felt that this particular bill was not the right way to go about legalizing it. Democratic Senators who support cannabis said that the existing bill set up a frame work for a state run monopoly on cannabis retailing, and that would put cultivators at a huge disadvantage. Senators also wanted to see better protection for the existing medical cannabis operators. Democratic Senator Cindy Rosenwald said “This bill is not fixable today." Democratic state Senator Erin Hennessey said, “I would love to be able to fix this bill, but there’s just too many questions that we’ve received that do not make it fixable for those who would like to see marijuana legalized in the state.” There were also some Senators who completely opposed cannabis legalization in any form, and showed their ignorance on the subject. Senator Lou D’Allesandro, a former teacher, said, “I’m opposed to marijuana. I’ve dealt with it with students; I’ve dealt with it with constituents. It’s a problem. I think that the situation is quite clear: The availability of marijuana on, let’s call it the black market, is pervasive. It’s everywhere. And we must deal with the ramifications of it.” Senator D’Allesandro would benefit from learning about how much more of a black market exists in non legal states than those with properly regulated and safe legalization. Another Senator, Republican Bob Giuda, made comments that are stunningly uneducated on the subject. Giuda spoke to his colleges in the committee and said, “Why would we want to join the herd of introducing to our culture, legalization of a substance that is unquestionably a gateway drug?” At least there were some educated Senators who understand the positive impact of cannabis, and are doing their best to see that it is legalized in the most beneficial way possible. Sometimes these delays can be frustrating, but making sure the legislation is done correctly will be better for all in the long run. Comments are closed.
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