Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Maybe the ninth time really is the charm. Bills to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana have passed through the New Hampshire House of Representatives eight times over the past 10 years or so. Those measures were defeated in the state Senate, again and again.
Whether you're for it or against it, this signifies a major reform. And Gov. Chris Sununu is on board, recently tweeting about the victory on Twitter: "I want to thank the Legislature for passing common sense marijuana reform. I look forward to signing House Bill 640 into law."
The governor says this is different than supporting recreational marijuana use, which he has stated publicly he's not interested in promoting "right now" for the Granite State.
But House Bill 640 softens the consequences for a pot conviction. Possession of up to 3/4 of an ounce would be punishable by a $100 fine for a first or second offense, according to the measure.
The law enforcement community is not in favor of the pending decriminalization, especially when the opioid scourge continues to leave its painful scars around Nashua and Manchester.
Last week, a Nashua man was nabbed in Hudson for alleged possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (within 1,000 feet of a school). Police say the amount of marijuana was significant, and Nottingham West Elementary School was placed on lockdown during the incident.
Currently, possession of up to 3/4 of an ounce is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.
Nashua's police chief doesn't see any common sense in Sununu's "common sense" pot reform, and says that marijuana still amounts to a federal crime, with its sale or cultivation a felony in New Hampshire.
Marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug (dangerous) according to the federal government, Andrew Lavoie notes.
"It's a slippery slope. What's next? They'll want to legalize it. It's a bad message to send to the public and especially to young children."
Lavoie has been wearing the blue uniform for more than 30 years now, and strongly believes that marijuana is a gateway drug. Of the numerous people he has seen arrested in the Gate City for harder narcotics, he says they began smoking marijuana first.
Chief Lavoie is not alone in that thought. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who smoke marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin.
But there are also professionals who believe marijuana can be a "exit drug" for those hooked on opioids. The journal JAMA cited a 2014 study showing that states with medical marijuana laws saw close to a 25 percent drop in deaths from opioid overdoses compared to states that did not have those laws. Another study found that cannabis can be successful in treating chronic pain and other ailments.
CNN's medical reporter, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is also a well-respected neurosurgeon, changed his mind about marijuana. Gupta now believes marijuana is more effective and safer than pharmaceutical drugs.
In doing research for his 2015 documentary "Weed," Gupta said, "With marijuana, I could not find a single, confirmed overdose death."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: The Heart of Nashua with Joan Stylianos: No easy answers in the pot debate | New Hampshire
Author: JOAN STYLIANOS
Contact: Contact Us - unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Whether you're for it or against it, this signifies a major reform. And Gov. Chris Sununu is on board, recently tweeting about the victory on Twitter: "I want to thank the Legislature for passing common sense marijuana reform. I look forward to signing House Bill 640 into law."
The governor says this is different than supporting recreational marijuana use, which he has stated publicly he's not interested in promoting "right now" for the Granite State.
But House Bill 640 softens the consequences for a pot conviction. Possession of up to 3/4 of an ounce would be punishable by a $100 fine for a first or second offense, according to the measure.
The law enforcement community is not in favor of the pending decriminalization, especially when the opioid scourge continues to leave its painful scars around Nashua and Manchester.
Last week, a Nashua man was nabbed in Hudson for alleged possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (within 1,000 feet of a school). Police say the amount of marijuana was significant, and Nottingham West Elementary School was placed on lockdown during the incident.
Currently, possession of up to 3/4 of an ounce is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.
Nashua's police chief doesn't see any common sense in Sununu's "common sense" pot reform, and says that marijuana still amounts to a federal crime, with its sale or cultivation a felony in New Hampshire.
Marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug (dangerous) according to the federal government, Andrew Lavoie notes.
"It's a slippery slope. What's next? They'll want to legalize it. It's a bad message to send to the public and especially to young children."
Lavoie has been wearing the blue uniform for more than 30 years now, and strongly believes that marijuana is a gateway drug. Of the numerous people he has seen arrested in the Gate City for harder narcotics, he says they began smoking marijuana first.
Chief Lavoie is not alone in that thought. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those who smoke marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin.
But there are also professionals who believe marijuana can be a "exit drug" for those hooked on opioids. The journal JAMA cited a 2014 study showing that states with medical marijuana laws saw close to a 25 percent drop in deaths from opioid overdoses compared to states that did not have those laws. Another study found that cannabis can be successful in treating chronic pain and other ailments.
CNN's medical reporter, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is also a well-respected neurosurgeon, changed his mind about marijuana. Gupta now believes marijuana is more effective and safer than pharmaceutical drugs.
In doing research for his 2015 documentary "Weed," Gupta said, "With marijuana, I could not find a single, confirmed overdose death."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: The Heart of Nashua with Joan Stylianos: No easy answers in the pot debate | New Hampshire
Author: JOAN STYLIANOS
Contact: Contact Us - unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: unionleader.com - Manchester, NH
