Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Whenever society changes, there's bound to be confusion and inconvenience along the way.
When women and blacks became eligible to vote, there was initial disruption at the polls as both the newly eligible voters and election workers struggled with registrations, etc. – and in some cases, of course, this was exacerbated by those who disagreed with the new law and worked to undo its effects.
When gays were first allowed the modest rights of civil unions, then marriage, there were, again, many logistical hurdles as employers and municipalities worked to change the language on forms, figure out benefits, etc. – and again, it was all made more difficult by those who tried to stand in the way of the prevailing tide.
We're now in the midst of another societal change, the move toward lessening penalties for marijuana use. And while the change doesn't carry the same weight of those civil rights issues, it does come with many logistical challenges.
One major hurdle is that the movement is not being implemented at once, nationally, but in different steps, state by state. This means the laws continue to vary across state lines, and federal law enforcement is apparently not on board at all, which puts everyone looking to take advantage of the easing of state laws at risk.
In New Hampshire, a measure passed last spring and signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu in July lessens the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana, hashish and other cannabis-derived products. It was hailed by Sununu as "commonsense marijuana reform" and by many users of the drugs as a big step forward.
The law went into effect Sept. 16, roughly two months after Sununu signed it. According to some police officials, that's not enough time for them to prepare.
"The 60 day effective date has made it very difficult to have everything prepared to implement the complex process and requirements such as complaint forms, policies, and procedures. It is a short time to train officers to implement the changes and comply with the restrictions on public information which are unlike any in any other drug or criminal law," wrote Tuftonboro Police Chief Andrew Shagoury, president of the N.H. Association of Chiefs of Police, in a public letter.
Keene police told The Sentinel they weren't sure they'd have the violation forms to be given to those found in possession of small amounts in time for the effective date. That's a small issue, however. Chief Steven Russo said he was confident his officers were prepared to handle the change.
The driving force in the N.H. Legislature, and in many other states, seems not to be an acceptance of the drug as "safe" or benign, as legalization advocates claim, but rather, the realization that far too great a portion of our law enforcement, judicial and corrections resources have been devoted to those who pose little threat to society.
That's not to say, however, that pot smokers always pose little threat; it remains to be seen, for example, how the state's police will enforce driving under the influence of the drug, which can be just as dangerous as drunken driving. Will every department outfit officers with a testing device, like the breathalyzer, that can accurately determine fitness to be behind the wheel? Jaffrey Police Chief William Oswalt said he's not aware of any standardized field sobriety test for marijuana like the one that exists for alcohol. For that matter, what is that level for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the active ingredient in pot – content in the blood? The new law doesn't set a standard.
To be clear, the new law doesn't make marijuana use legal. It just changes the penalties for possessing small amounts in many cases from a criminal misdemeanor to a noncriminal violation.
Lessening penalties for marijuana use is probably a good move, freeing up resources to deal with more urgent criminal enterprises, such as the current opioid crisis. But we're not ready to agree that complete legalization is the logical conclusion. More research on the effects of cannabis on young brains, and more examination of the safety aspects of its use by, for example, airline pilots or bus and taxi drivers, is needed.
It's a step – as was the recent acceptance of marijuana use as treatment for some medical conditions – and it may well not be the last one the state takes in addressing the use of the drug.
But wherever that endpoint lies, it will assuredly be an uneven path getting there.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana reform: New Hampshire takes a step, however uneven, forward | Editorial | sentinelsource.com
Author: WILFRED BILODEAU
Contact: Contact Us | Site | sentinelsource.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: sentinelsource.com | Local Matters | News in Keene NH
When women and blacks became eligible to vote, there was initial disruption at the polls as both the newly eligible voters and election workers struggled with registrations, etc. – and in some cases, of course, this was exacerbated by those who disagreed with the new law and worked to undo its effects.
When gays were first allowed the modest rights of civil unions, then marriage, there were, again, many logistical hurdles as employers and municipalities worked to change the language on forms, figure out benefits, etc. – and again, it was all made more difficult by those who tried to stand in the way of the prevailing tide.
We're now in the midst of another societal change, the move toward lessening penalties for marijuana use. And while the change doesn't carry the same weight of those civil rights issues, it does come with many logistical challenges.
One major hurdle is that the movement is not being implemented at once, nationally, but in different steps, state by state. This means the laws continue to vary across state lines, and federal law enforcement is apparently not on board at all, which puts everyone looking to take advantage of the easing of state laws at risk.
In New Hampshire, a measure passed last spring and signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu in July lessens the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana, hashish and other cannabis-derived products. It was hailed by Sununu as "commonsense marijuana reform" and by many users of the drugs as a big step forward.
The law went into effect Sept. 16, roughly two months after Sununu signed it. According to some police officials, that's not enough time for them to prepare.
"The 60 day effective date has made it very difficult to have everything prepared to implement the complex process and requirements such as complaint forms, policies, and procedures. It is a short time to train officers to implement the changes and comply with the restrictions on public information which are unlike any in any other drug or criminal law," wrote Tuftonboro Police Chief Andrew Shagoury, president of the N.H. Association of Chiefs of Police, in a public letter.
Keene police told The Sentinel they weren't sure they'd have the violation forms to be given to those found in possession of small amounts in time for the effective date. That's a small issue, however. Chief Steven Russo said he was confident his officers were prepared to handle the change.
The driving force in the N.H. Legislature, and in many other states, seems not to be an acceptance of the drug as "safe" or benign, as legalization advocates claim, but rather, the realization that far too great a portion of our law enforcement, judicial and corrections resources have been devoted to those who pose little threat to society.
That's not to say, however, that pot smokers always pose little threat; it remains to be seen, for example, how the state's police will enforce driving under the influence of the drug, which can be just as dangerous as drunken driving. Will every department outfit officers with a testing device, like the breathalyzer, that can accurately determine fitness to be behind the wheel? Jaffrey Police Chief William Oswalt said he's not aware of any standardized field sobriety test for marijuana like the one that exists for alcohol. For that matter, what is that level for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the active ingredient in pot – content in the blood? The new law doesn't set a standard.
To be clear, the new law doesn't make marijuana use legal. It just changes the penalties for possessing small amounts in many cases from a criminal misdemeanor to a noncriminal violation.
Lessening penalties for marijuana use is probably a good move, freeing up resources to deal with more urgent criminal enterprises, such as the current opioid crisis. But we're not ready to agree that complete legalization is the logical conclusion. More research on the effects of cannabis on young brains, and more examination of the safety aspects of its use by, for example, airline pilots or bus and taxi drivers, is needed.
It's a step – as was the recent acceptance of marijuana use as treatment for some medical conditions – and it may well not be the last one the state takes in addressing the use of the drug.
But wherever that endpoint lies, it will assuredly be an uneven path getting there.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana reform: New Hampshire takes a step, however uneven, forward | Editorial | sentinelsource.com
Author: WILFRED BILODEAU
Contact: Contact Us | Site | sentinelsource.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: sentinelsource.com | Local Matters | News in Keene NH
