After a heated and lengthy debate on the floor of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, the lower chamber of New Hampshire’s legislature today voted 170 to 162 in favor of House Bill 492, which seeks to legalize under state law the personal use and home cultivation of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older and establish regulations for the retail production and sale of cannabis.
The historic vote makes the New Hampshire House the first state legislative chamber to ever vote in favor of regulating cannabis.
House Bill 492 had initially received a “Ought Not to Pass” report from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. However, in New Hampshire legislative rules permit all House measures to receive floor votes by the full House. This afternoon, House lawmakers debated the measure for more than three hours before voting 170 to 168 to accept the committee report. But this was just the beginning.
Members of the House of Representatives voted 173 to 165 to reconsider their actions and hold a revote. On their second vote, a majority 170 members voted to reject the “Ought Not to Pass” report. House lawmakers then voted to adopt amendments to adjust minor details of the bill. More debate ensued, but when the final vote was held 170 voted in favor of approving HB492 as amended and sending it to and 162 voted in opposition.
“This vote is historic,” stated NORML Communications Director Erik Altieri, “Today’s vote approving House Bill 492 is the first time a chamber of a state legislature has ever approved of legislation to legalize and regulate marijuana for all adults. Fifty-eight percent of Americans support ending our prohibition on marijuana and the New Hampshire House of Representatives’ actions today signal that politicians are finally beginning to acknowledge the will of their constituents.”
Tax issues pertaining to the bill will now be debated by the House Ways and Means Committee. A second House floor vote is anticipated in the coming months. However, Democrat Governor Maggie Hassan has already stated her opposition to this measure.
NORML will keep you updated on this evolving situation.
Is there any indication that the NH Senate has changed it’s mind since last year on the issue?
Please, Tell Governor Maggie Hassan to reconsider her ” Veto Threat”, and to consider the will of her constituents… so far she refuses to reply
https://www.facebook.com/GovernorHassan
The snowball just keeps rolling, getting bigger as it goes. I’m really delighted that I lived to witness this transformation in our country.
Once the NH Senate see how much money will be made on a yearly basis, they might hold back their opposition.
Colorado made $6 million its first week.
Now they have to make HEMP legal as well. With Hemp production (foods, fabric and fuel) this nation would be out of debt in 10 years or less.
@R.Diberto do you have a source for the Colorado statistic? (I’d like to read more about it)
More and More of these so-called “Legalization” Bills are appearing. BUT, THEY KEEP PERSONAL GROWING ILLEGAL !!!!!!!!
How is it OK to go to the State and buy Commercially grown crap weed, but I can’t grow my own ORGANIC MEDICINE ???????
[Paul Armentano responds: HB 492 allows for personal cultivation.]
If you want to hear the anthem for NORML to march with go to
http://www.reverbnation.com/responsiblepedestian?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav
and play the song It’s 4:20 Somewhere
@mike: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/03/pot-sales_n_4536780.html
what would this mean for commercial drivers who hold a medical card through the state of new hampshire?
[Paul Armentano responds: New Hampshire’s nascent medical marijuana law is neither up and running nor would it offer protection for commercially licensed drivers who are under federal regulations.]
Now thats the United States we love.
Going to have to change your name to New Hempshire.
I was having a bad day and now its not so bad.
Thanks New Hampshire.
Come on New Hampshire! Seal the deal! Keep it going!
Live High or Die!!!
Mike, here you go:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/marijuana-sales-colorado_n_4552371.html
20 years ago my Mom had terminal cancer she would never thought of taking weed. The Doctor gave her less than a year to live, she wouldnt eat she was dwindling like they said , My Brother worried told her to smoke this she did she lived 11 more years in no pain stunned the Doctors , And all it takes is one Governor with the wrong Idea ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING,To ruin a chance for the Miracle plant that God gave us, Leaders are supposed to know the way show the way and Lead the way Maggie ARE YOU A lEADER OR IS YOUR Pride All you care about not the People do the math
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4552371
Well Friends, lets all enjoy this time.
We’re all in the front row watching history
being made. € And I salute N.H. for having the seeds
to give us another thrilling boost to our Liberty
& Freedom !
This is All Good ?
I believe all states should legalize weed, this way we have less to spend on prisons. The dealers now would have to report how much they made from weed and the people who buy it would have to pay sales tax, these taxes would help the crisis we are in today. Trillions od dollars are made and saved.
Be good to the streets Governor Hassan, and the streets will be good to you
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/marijuana-sales-colorado_n_4552371.html
Now this is big!
mike, all you have to do is google it. that’s the beauty of the internet.
Dear pua mana,
To answer your question; the same reason why owning a home distillery is illegal, because the state has the right to collect taxes on such things. Can’t argue and I would gladly pay my duty on legal marijuana.
@Mike. Sources say Colorado made 5 million in the first week of sales which equals roughly 1 million in tax revenue. I live in Philadelphia and that tax revenue is enough to fully fund every school that was forced to close in Philadelphia this past year. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4552371/ … not to mention the drastic effects the hemp plant (which contains extremely limited amounts of thc) could have on industries such as medical, textile, health based foods, and many many others. If the US wants its people to spend more money to fix the economy, marijuana is the answer.
Here is an article about how much recreational pot has made in Colorado so far:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/08/marijuana-sales-colorado_n_4552371.html
I applaud all of you who voted yes to this great change that is going to happen in our state. I am hoping Maggie Hassan will think twice before vetoing this bill. I do have petition started on change.org addressed to this situation please take some time to read and sign it. We can over throw a veto if there is enough support.
@mike look on the Denver post for that info.There is a page for marijuana located on the news tab.
Now is the time for ( N-H ) 420 falks to start to push hard. The govner will veto this bill.
This is great news, but until banks and credit cards are given the “green” light to do business with cannabis cash it still sets up a very ugly and violent situation. Who wants to walk around with thousands of dollars in a paper bag?
The lack of our governments response to the cash money only makes them lose more of it to products like bitcoin and the very criminals we are trying to avoid.
It’s time to remove marijuana from schedule 1! Protect dispensary owners and growers who are complying with state law. Are we not the “United States?”
Where is our Congress? Where is our President? The people and the state’s are speaking, why then are you not listening?
Go CO! Go WA! Go DC! GO NH! Go NORML!
Democrat Governor Maggie Hassan is a disgrace! Throw her out bigtime ASAP!
I see a lot of political drama. They already know its going to pass. They’re doing the dog and pony show for the feds.
Wake up maggie I think new hampshire has something to say to you
Jimmy: You are right about the dog and pony show, but wrong about the passage. The governor has stated her intent to veto. They don’t usually take it back after that. It required two-thirds of each chamber to overturn a gubernatorial veto. Since the GA only got a 170-165 passage, they obviously can’t get two-thirds.
The narrow margin is disappointing, but at least it’s a good first step.
I would like to point out that many seem to be delusional about the financial benefits of taxing the plant. I mean, taxing a friggen plant even sounds ridiculous – but, then again, this is government we’re talking about. NH even taxes mountain views. Absurd.
Anyway, my point is that people are claiming taxing the plant will relief our deficit. This is delusional because it assumes our government has any fiscal responsibility at all. My experience tells another story. Taxing the plant will only give them more money to WASTE. I wish I could have faith that government would do the right thing, but they never have.
[Paul Armentano responds: To clarify, taxes are on retail and commercial sales of products from the plant — no different than taxes one already pays on retail sales of other products, including vegetable products. If you want to grow vegetable in your garden for your own use there is no tax. If you want to be a commercial producer and retail seller of said products you pay taxes on those transactions. Simple.]
@Skyler
Any vetoing on this subject would be political suicide. Just remember she is no more than a puppet for the controlling powers. She has something else in mind after she gets out of office.
Okay, we had the House pass it. Now, that only leaves the Senate and the Governor. I really don’t understand something, Alcohol, tobacco, and prescription meds cause more deaths yearly then any other three narcotics combined, however, they are all legal. The amount of money that big Pharma makes on prescription meds, the government and states make on tobacco and alcohol, you would think the obvious answer would be to sell marijuana in a retail stores. People worry about children under 21 getting a hold of marijuana but yet it is like alcohol and tobacco, if they want it, they will get it. I would rather my children smoke marijuana than to light up a stoge, that causes cancer, or to drink alcohol, which leads to alcoholism and severe liver damage, or to get snort prescription medications that have a Russian roulette chance of killing them each time they do it. As long as marijuana is left in it’s natural state, meaning don’t add any bullshit to it, like tobacco companies do to cigarettes, then there is not any harm in legalizing, selling, and taxing marijuana. God put this plant on earth for a reason and it wasn’t to grow and look pretty, however, I must admit, there are a lot of hot looking cannabis plants in this world, but I digress. The amount of money that the government and states can make on Marijuana is disgusting. Most people don’t realize that a pack of stoges sells for about 2.65 retail, the other 4 to 5 dollars we are paying, some states a little more than that, is all taxes. TAX, TAX, TAX, it’s the American way. Make weed legal and tax the shit out of it and you will not only be helping people that truly need this beautiful plant for their ails but our national debt could be wiped out in the next 15 to 20 years, and that’s being generous. LEGALIZE IT, SEL IT, TAX IT, and live free and die !!!!!!!!!!!!
Another state, like Pennsylvania, who has a governor who will veto any legalization bill.
The governor will listen to her state, give her a some credit. She might be serious about it, but if 60% of the people want it, it is going to happen. She can be a hero or follow the decrepit and neurotic drug war bullshit.
Haha marijuana prohibition is falling apart so fast not even the Feds will be able to pick up the pieces. This is it folks this is the end game. The last days of prohibition and we are witnissing it.
Celebrate americans for the genie of calous indifference and punitive intolerance will never be put back into the bottle of control made through psudo-science. Remove from or reschedule cannabis to release the hounds of american creativity.
If Hassan vetoes, then the people of NH need to veto her job. We need to make it hazardous to the employment health of our elected officials to support prohibition. We need to make our elected officials TERRIFIED to oppose our will on this! We need to make it clear that supporting prohibition and opposing legalization is political suicide!
It is amazing how a majority of a state government will try to enact legalization and a jerk water governor can block the will of the people’s representatives. I am both in N.H. and florida another state who has a governor and AG that want to reject putting mj on the ballot even though over a million signatures have been collected. Lets hope this monumental step is not in vain. Vote out these clown dictator governors in government! RICK SCOTT of FLORIDA and MAGIE HASSAN of N.H need to go..
“Prohibition only drives drunkenness behind doors and into dark places, and does not cure it, or even diminish it.?”
I promised myself I’d be good today
I think I can walk today, hit the bases and instead I flew away what a beautiful skeleton. Who put you together i should of asked.I brought the uke I can fill the wind putting me out. finally I’m in mothers hands my hairs past my eyes. For fear had taught me how to stand it will teach us all how to fall but away from all of y’all so fucking far from y’all. I’m sorry officer I wasn’t good today… I’m so scared you’ll lock me away. I’m so sorry but I was born this way plz don’t point your gun that really stings my face. I’m not a criminal I was born this way. I’m a fucking shaman and I love my Mary Jane. Now i will lose my job I can’t help but sing about everything you All D.A.R.E.D me too be.
I don’t care I’m not scared ill set all my heads free.
@ Paul Armentano
Yes, I understand the taxation is on the commercial production. I was merely trying to illustrate the absurdity of government wanting to tax everything they possibly can. If they could figure out a way to tax individuals on their private growth of the plant, they would. And no matter what they tax and how much revenue they create, they ALWAYS cry for more because they ALWAYS overspend. Reducing their spending is almost never seriously debated when it comes to fiscal policy. The extra revenue generated by MJ taxation will only fund further attacks on our liberties, as has been proven time and time again.
@ some guy in NH
I agree. While I support legalization in the fullest, the increased tax revenues have me worried. That money will be eaten up all too soon, and, instead of cutting spending, the government will get used to having all that extra pork.
I’m glad the taxation issue is being addressed here. It’s something I need more understanding of to say the least. In short my understanding is that the 25% of the taxes collected in Colorado for instance are for a variety of reasons. The excise tax(sin tax) is sometime used for programs to warn or educate the public of dangers of the product much like alcohol or cigarettes. I guess what I’m getting to here is given what we know about the lack of danger to the consumer of cannabis doesn’t it stand to reason that as time passes that these taxes aren’t going to be applicable to cannabis. It surely doesn’t make sense for my tax dollar to be collected for a program or purpose that doesn’t need to exist. It also would look very ridiculous for the government to carry on with such a line of logic that is contradicted by their own studies. And now I’m sounding like someone who might believe they would listen to their own studies or for that matter do something logical. All of this brings me to the idea that while writing these legalization laws that they need to include provision for the reduction or removal of certain taxes based on their applicability to the assumed or stated dangers. I for one have yet to find that if consumed correctly by adults that their is no danger concerning cannabis. I would like this subject to be introduced in a blog by itself with an educating article.
The “wake up Maggie” Rod Stewart comment is the Best!
I have a real good solution to all taxation problems but I keep running out of seeds.
Residents of states without initiative or referendum processes, have no direct say in the laws over them. This is why despite overwhelming majority support for cannabis, these residents are still treated with disdain by their governors. It is time to take steps toward enacting referendum and initiative processes in all states.
Look at the map on http://www.iandrinstitute.org and compare it to Norml’s map of medical/recreational laws.
You’ll see that the states with the best forms of cannabis freedom, already had both an initiative and referendum process. It is the only way possible to have the best laws. Take the power away from these Governors and give it to the residents!
@Ray Walker: “It also would look very ridiculous for the government to carry on with such a line of logic that is contradicted by their own studies”
Why on earth would that look ridiculous? Sounds like business as usual for the government. Nixon commissioned a study on MJ in the seventies, with the purpose of trying to prove, for once and for all, that MJ was dangerous and evil and should be illegal. The commission returned the opposite opinion, based on the facts, and he threw it straight in the trash and started the Drug War that we’re all suffering under right now.
Why would it be any different thirty years later, with a government that isn’t likely to want to lose face and admit that for thirty years they’ve been fighting a losing war they never needed to fight, at the expense of our tax money, our freedoms, and our good name?
NORML!!! PLEASE HELP US IN NEW HAMPSHIRE!!
——————————————–
Please send some representatives to help drum up support! We are on the verge here.
@Demonhype, Yeah I’m with you on that. Thats why the next sentence was:
“And now I’m sounding like someone who might believe they would listen to their own studies or for that matter do something logical.”
One thing is for sure, that if we stay strong and hold the momentum we now have, and not allow them to divide us, we will win and win big! The loss that has already been paid will not be in vain. There will be a price you me and countless others will pay. Just like what we do here, right now using our voice is part of the price. New Hampshire might not be the next, but they will get their day in the sun.
@ Initiative and Referendum, I could not agree more sir. Direct Democracy should be an equal right to all. It blows me away that it isn’t the same for all americans. Everyone should read how these processes came to be and not just what they are. Knowledge is indeed a powerful weapon against an ignorant foe.
Psycho-Pharmacological McCarthyism. ….legalize cannabis and stop using our citizens as commodity in For Profit Prisons system. Take the the tax dollars and fund our schools
CNN is definately our friend. They’re kickimg ass. Just heard a great report on hemp from industrial to medicine to food.
I found this informative and interesting blog so I think so it’s very useful and knowledge able.I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this blog. Keep posting like this I really enjoyed it and the rest of your site Great find.
It has been interesting to witness thus far, to say the least. Everyone keeps hollering about taxing it and bailing this country, or your state out. You really need to pay attention to this: the greed of the government and the taxes they have placed on recreational weed is going to cause a problem. You see, before they passed the law, an 1/8 on the street was about $25-$30, and dispensary was about $5-$10 more. When they opened for recreational sales on January 1, the price was $50-$75 for an 1/8. It doesn’t take much figuring to realize that if a person still has a street connection, that is where they will go. It also stands to reason that it won’t take long for street prices to climb to just below what the stores sell it for. So you see, not only will your state lose out on its taxes, the black market stands to make a lot more. Recreational purchases will be made by those not interested in making or maintaining an underground connection, and those actually coming here for a small marijuana purchase and a weekend of fine skiing or other outdoor activity, or a concert perhaps. Everybody still wants their piece of the pie, and the government wants their slice from the middle. They’re going to tax themselves out of something really good. They’re still going to get a huge amount of money from it, don’t get me wrong, but it has the potential to be so much more.
25 bucks an eighth? In the south it’s 50 an eighth. I miss the west coast. Louisiana passed a medical law in 1991 for the use of marijuana for glaucoma and chemo treatment . Never been put into effect. C mon louisiana
New Hampshire sells alcohol and jails for weed.
Yet they maintain the tragic comedy by forcing people to buy a license plate emblazoned with
the state motto, “live free or die”.
It doesn’t get more hypocritical than that.
[Editor’s note: Regrettably it can get more hypocritical…check out image from NH governor’s FaceBook page.]
Poor people have been paying $50 an eighth since the 80s. Poor people do not buy ounces. To say “legalization will lead to $400 an ounce”, ignores the facts.
I’m a marijuana activist and supporter who lives in Vermont, directly on the border with New Hampshire. While I applaud this step, I can tell you from experience that attitudes towards marijuana in New Hampshire and attitudes in Vermont are very different. In Vermont I don’t fear persecution, and most of the people I know here smoke marijuana anyway, or don’t have a problem with it. But this is a very rural area and so to do anything – go to the grocery store, go out for the night, etc., I have to go across the border into New Hampshire. This means that I have to be much more careful because I am subject to persecution.
It’s not just about the difference in laws between the two states. Long before Vermont decriminalized small-time possession, the situation was the same; in Vermont you could largely expect to be left alone, while in NH you had to fear harassment, arrest and imprisonment.
So I think New Hampshire still has a long way to go. Passing this through the Senate is a long shot, but if we keep pushing it just might work. I continually hear about precedent being the cause for hesitation among lawmakers, but we have plenty of precedent to follow and learn from in the Netherlands and in Spain. I’ve been researching and studying the cannabis club scenes there extensively and you can read about it here: http://www.marijuanagames.org. I’m currently back in the States supporting legislation here and hope that I get the chance to speak to NH lawmakers on behalf of marijuana supporters. If you’d like to get involved, please contact me at the above referenced site.
-Russ Hudson
The prices will eventually fall. The shops selling it simply didn’t have enough. The first day that they began selling there were only 18 stores open in Denver that could could sell to anybody and a handful of others across the state. A bunch of shops didn’t get the ok to sell to anyone yet. Jan 1 was probably the busiest marijuana selling day there will ever be unless the Feds legalize it. Once there are more stores open prices will fall.
The prices will eventually fall. The shops selling it simply didn’t have enough. The first day that they began selling there were only 18 stores open in Denver that could could sell to anybody and a handful of others across the state. A bunch of shops didn’t get the ok to sell to anyone yet. Jan 1 was probably the busiest marijuana selling day there will ever be unless the Feds legalize it. Once there are more stores open prices will fall.
If it is approved so be it, all we can do is support for the betterment of the many… If argument and debate will get longer, this will not end because many minds are powerful. Now that it was already issued and approved, then will go for it and follow the rules.
thanks jullian. here’s another thought, what about the absent tax $, when everyone goes to where it’s legal? and the ones where it’s legal gets flooded with people, and those that stay will have to pay higher taxes. a lot of little ghost towns! look at detroit! the only thing that ever gets attacked is the fridge.
Well New Hampshire everything seems to be going well! but what is going to be the next move when Governor Maggie Hassan throws her monkey wrench into the hard work by her dirty VETO to the bill that she says will be done, my suggestion would be to vote her out of office as soon as possible!!! Good Luck.
I live in New York State where our politicians, including the governor, are dragging their feet. Recently, the governor has stated that an executive order (no legislative action required) will allow for targeted hospitals to use cannabis in life-threatening situations only. This obviously is a far cry from where we as a State should be.
I personally have been convicted of having grown an armful of cannabis in my house for my arthritis, being convicted of a felony and everything that goes along with it. I was afforded some consideration and avoided serving State time, however, it was not without much cost and pain not only to me, but to my family and friends.
I hope in the near future, all states make the positive change in their posture and position regarding not only cannabis use (both medically and recreationally) but also the cultivation of a specified amount for personal use.
Prohibition has shown in the past to be a failure and there are only a handful of individuals/politicians that would still hold the posture that it has worked with cannabis. Their posture is not one of fact, but only one of denial of the facts.
I look forward to the day when not only New York State but all states allow each individual to make a personal choice around the use and cultivation as it pertains to how they want to live their life. When we do not victimize, impede, impinge upon or even threaten another individual’s right to life and freedom of choice, we should be able to make our own personal choice. Until then, we are still being oppressed by the very people that we entrust to allow us to live as such — the people that are supposed to be acting on the voice of the majority…
Peace.
Ilion, New York
It’s 4:20 Somewhere! Give a listen and tell me what you think
http://www.reverbnation.com/responsiblepedestian/song/19652173-its-420-somewhere
A democracy is ruled by the majority. In a Rebublic, the minority is protected from the majority. We are free do do what we want with our bodies, and any laws that prevent it are treason to our Republic. Politicians who dont defend those rights are criminals.
From the Concord Monitor “Hassan does not support marijuana legalization. She has faced criticism for that stance; more than 1,344 comments were left on the governor’s Facebook post about her position on the bill, in what could be a sign of changing public opinion.”
The Bill is in the House Ways and Means for public hearing. Make your voice count NH, lead the way for the East Coast.
Yeah too bad their still putting people in jail for possessing it
What will happen? If you would like to learn more information about the ongoing marijuana debate, check out this website! http://thenebula.org/the-marijuana-debate-legal-or-illegal/
So does this Include The Right to Grow Your Own Medicine ? Or will it force to be a Slave to Gov.-Tax-Pot ???????
Don’t trade your God-Given Right to Grow a Plant for the Servitude of Paying Tax on a Plant that was Created FREE !
HB 492-FN-LOCAL – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
First of all I’ve used the link NORML provided:
http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51046/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=12660
Go there and do the patriotic thing and voice yourselves and then read the whole document as I did:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/HB0492.html
@pau hana
I googled the name, and it came back with this:
The time after work. It is considered a time for relaxation, informal socializing with friends and family, and enjoyment.
That really cool. and I hope this helps you and anyone else in New Hampshire.
Below is a partial copy of HB 492 that has been cherry picked to only include those sections that pertaining to Personal Use and Personal Cultivation.
Give thanks to these guys and always remember who they are. They worked hard on this.
SPONSORS:
Rep. Vaillancourt, Hills 15
Rep. Warden, Hills 39
Rep. Winters, Hills 18
Rep. Lambert, Hills 44
Rep. Robertson, Ches 6
COMMITTEE: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
This bill among other things Legalizes the personal use of up to one ounce of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older.
318-F:2
Personal Use of Marijuana. If you’re 21 years of age or older, the following acts will be legal under New Hampshire law. And the following also won’t be a basis for seizure or forfeiture of assets.
(I’ve put my two cents in where I think needed in parenthesis.)
I. Possessing, consuming, using, displaying, obtaining, purchasing, or transporting marijuana accessories, or marijuana in the amount of one ounce or less including up to 5 grams of hashish.
(Pretty simple, no more than an ounce.)
II. Possessing, growing, processing, or transporting no more than 6 marijuana plants, with 3 or fewer being mature, flowering plants, and possession of the marijuana produced by the plants on the premises where the plants were grown.
(This one seems to be open for interpretation because it doesn’t speak about quantity. I can see 6 immature plants quickly getting over an ounce.)
III. Transferring one ounce or less of marijuana and up to 6 immature marijuana plants to a person who is 21 years of age or older without remuneration.
(Simple, NO MONEY involved. Pay it forward.)
IV. Transferring or selling marijuana seeds or up to 6 marijuana seedlings to marijuana cultivation facilities.
(I understand this to say its ok to sell seeds and 6 small plants to a licensed grower.)
V. Assisting another person who is 21 years of age or older in any of the acts described in this section.
(We should all teach each other to be good farmers)
318-F:3 Restrictions on Personal Cultivation; Penalty.
I. No person who is 21 years of age or older shall cultivate marijuana plants except as provided in this section.
(These are the rules.)
II. Marijuana plants shall not be cultivated in a location where the plants are subject to public view without the use of binoculars, aircraft, or other optical aids.
(Anther not so clear one. Greenhouses even with frosted glass might be detectable with satellite multispectral or hyper-spectral imaging which is an “optical aid”. I’d just grow indoors.)
III. A person who cultivates marijuana shall take reasonable precautions to ensure the plants are secure from unauthorized access. Cultivating marijuana in an enclosed, locked space to which unauthorized persons do not have access, or other similar security precautions, shall be prima facie evidence of reasonable precautions.
(Lock it all up so that its a pain to deal with and thus a pain for all else.)
IV. Marijuana cultivation shall only occur on property the cultivator legally owns, leases, or controls, or with the consent of the person who legally owns, leases, or controls the property.
(Once again, simple.)
V. A person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation and may be fined not more than $750.
318-F:4 Public Smoking of Marijuana Prohibited; Penalty.
I. No person shall smoke marijuana in a public place.
II. A person who violates this section shall be guilty of a violation and may be punished by a fine of not more than $100.
Well, other than the one ounce restriction its pretty fair and clear. Like I’ve said before, they could just start by throwing all the laws about it in the trash, but thats not going to happen anytime soon.
Being from the “Great State of New York” we are under the rule of His Highness King Cuomo who is now dragging his feet on the medical marijuana bill. Being close to retirement age I have looked to New Hampshire for my golden years. If it should come to pass then, being an occasional user , I would enjoy making New Hampshire my home. I wish there was something I could do to help you folks out. It’s about time that we all should have freedom of choice.
This is a copy of my response to a NORML letter announcing an upcoming web seminar on marijuana sponsored the the NH Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors Assn. It’s high time this issue was addressed by adults without rabid accusations of moral decay and witchcraft. I wrote this before I saw your article, and I’m just not politically aware enough to understand the continuing controversy.
John Hilger
35 Baptist Road
Canterbury, NH 03224
highwaterz2@gmail.com
An open letter to NORML, ASA, MPP and public officials and policy makers
This upcoming discussion of marijuana policy is awesome. I hope there are police and lawyers in place in case rabidly ‘moral’ people try to fire-bomb the building. I doubt anyone in New Hampshire will see it on WMUR or in the Monitor or Union Leader. I’ve been politely posting the cons of prohibition to a couple media sites here in the nanny state and no one seems to want to talk about it. NH has a stalled medical marijuana statute which probably represents a great political risk taken by a comparatively reasonable governor, but which still does not provide access to medication or protection from retaliation for patients.
The mere sight of a doobie is enough to mark anyone as a morally-deficient drug-addled criminal that will hopefully ‘get help’ from the mandatory jails, fines, rehabs, psychologists, drug testing labs, etc. This extreme attitude by a few scaredy-cat, wealthy, white people tends to educate one quickly in how to avoid the scrutiny of the prohibitionists. Of course, that and the backlash of actually using one’s health insurance, is enough to discourage anyone with any type of actual physical dependence from getting into a rehab.
Oddly enough, if a (nice, white, well-spoken, polite, well-funded) person is accused of the crime of possession or intent to purchase a narcotic (dream police division) the ‘defendant’ is often allowed to ‘get off’ with only a prepaid rehab ($6,000-11,000), court and probation fines ($1,200+), drug testing fees ($600+), a tracking device implanted in your left nut, and a public apology for being so immoral.
You can be sure a bed in a nice country club rehab will be available for a well-funded white person. Some scaremonger political and religious leaders profit directly from prohibition industries, and many use the stigma of reefer madness to excuse questionable political or legal actions against personal enemies. Some people, I would estimate 40%, have been quietly using cannabis at least occasionally for the last 40 years. It is still possible to avoid nanny employers who drug test. Such otherwise law-abiding people must regard the police as something less than their “friend.”
Despite this, individual officers dislike enforcing prohibition, and some mature ones will confiscate your stash and ball you out, rather than arrest you. As a well-spoken white boy with several successful businesses and a paralegal certificate, I probably have a dozen nol-prossed arrests for possession. I’m afraid my grandkids would go to prison if they are caught with a couple of doobies.
Marijuana prohibition is by far the greatest injustice I’ve ever been aware of.
I grew up with a daily fistfight because I was a good little Christian boy wearing polyester slacks and a sweater vest to junior high in 1969. I didn’t try pot until I was 20 because I was afraid I’d be instantly possessed by demons. What a load of crap. I’ve seen the Berlin wall come down, and the USSR become the current Russian Federation. I’ve seen a black man who dares to say, ‘yes I inhaled, that’s the whole point of it’ become President despite having an arab-sounding name. I will remember Obama as the President who had the gonads to speak reasonably about marijuana prohibition despite the best efforts of his enemies. And as the President that supported the increasing number of states which no longer wish to jail their citizens for responsible, adult marijuana use. It is sad that a respected public figure like US Attorney General Eric Holder would only be able to suggest that these laws might need another look after announcing his retirement from office (and from political assassination).
I’ve sat in a circle on the state house lawn and passed around a bong. Some legislators walked past, coming back from lunch, and several of them had to assure one companion that we would not rape and kill and there was no need to bother us. That was 1984. Since then I have seen cannabis in many homes over many decades, from senators to doctors and lawyers to captains of industry and police officers. I wouldn’t expect people in NH to be publicly reasonable or tolerant today. There is too much fear of retaliation.
JFK was the last president who dared to openly support the legalization of marijuana, and possibly a warning example. Many people don’t even know that several of the Kennedys quietly, illegally, used cannabis for pain management. The recent push for legalization is much more powerful, with the support of so many people that it’s hard to cry ‘what about the children’ or misapply a scripture to accuse a patient or recreational user of witchcraft or sorcery.
Slick lobbyists from MPP, ASA and NORML (I approve, free lunches make the world go ’round, so patients must work the corrupt system) are bringing the issue before reluctant lawmakers everywhere.
The obvious grasping at straws by prohibitionists at the DEA and other agencies whose ultimate power to seize assets and imprison with impunity are threatened is obvious to an open-minded human being. The best recent arguments by government “experts” against legalization are: puppies may be exposed to second-hand smoke, what about the children? (not answered, just asked as a scare tactic), studies (whose?) have shown that if mice are injected with the equivalent of a kilo of weed for six months, they develop some laziness so marijuana use may impair those who smoke a kilo of weed in grade school. Pretty pathetic excuses for jailing hundreds of thousands of citizens.
If people would follow the example of many well-respected professionals such as Dr. Sanjya Gunta, admit they were duped by misinformation, and move forward, every citizen in the US would be better off. People are scared. Their current jobs could be in jeopardy if they speak candidly.
I am an educated white boy, pushing 60, disabled due to spinal injuries. My medical record makes it difficult for anyone to dispute my disability. I was mostly self-employed, and paid taxes on every cent, so have been rewarded with government benefits which meet my basic needs, not counting teeth. I have no employer, probation officer, mandatory psychologist, schoolmarm or nanny to harass me for being honest. I have not even been ‘knowingly in the presence of’ marijuana since I became disabled and needed public housing. I would sure like to be, however. Cannabis is quite effective for pain management, and doesn’t have the side effects that opiates and alcohol do.
I was a good Christian white boy, quit the weed again in 2009, spent months and thousands of dollars on specialist doctor visits, imaging scans and fees to interpret the scans, and physical therapy. I was rewarded with a reasonable amount of oxycodone and muscle relaxers –after suffering through trials of several SSRI/NSAID combos as a prerequisite. Mild tranquilizers and sleeping pills were also prescribed for generalized anxiety disorder. I lined up at the doctors office for my drug test and prescription each month and spent most of my disposable income at the pharmacy. Like most patients who depend on prescription painkillers, my life revolved around my prescription.
I had the oxycodone less than 3 years when I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a large pine tree on a Saturday afternoon. I had not had a drop of alcohol in 11 years, not a puff of marijuana for 4 or 5 years, and was actually just tired and using coffee to stay awake like most Americans do daily. I hadn’t even taken my prescribed medications because I was tired. When a passerby reported the accident, she was repeatedly asked by dispatch ‘does he seem disoriented, could he be ‘on something’? Finally, the passerby admitted that I seemed a little shaky, but noted that I had assured her I was able to wait a couple minutes for first responders. The responding state police officer and medical personnel were polite enough, but didn’t want to believe someone could fall asleep at the wheel without being guilty of something. A new type of state police officer, a drug nazi (not sure of the official title), was called from way over in Rochester or Keene. This young punk disgraced the uniform. His job was to find something to charge me with regardless of the law or the facts. He was livid that I would question why he was detaining a disabled old man who should be home resting after bouncing off a large pine tree. He was even more enraged when I told him I couldn’t pass his sobriety tests on a good day because of my spinal injuries. If it were not for the other mature officer’s presence, I’m sure he would have planted evidence or beaten me. That is how hateful rabid prohibitionists with ultimate power can be. I was eventually charged with allegedly using my prescription medication.
The wealthy white male judge who heard my case told me, in closing, that I had done a good job of disproving the prosecution’s case and hinted that the charges should be dropped. He then proceed to say “but the cops think you were up to something, and I believe them.” That was his justification for finding me “guilty anyhow.”
Perhaps he didn’t believe me when I told him that any conviction would result in a permanent loss of license, since I could never find the thousands of dollars needed to ransom my license back from the government contractors and agencies that each wanted a few hundred dollars in fines or fees. Perhaps the fact that the courts are self-funded, or that the judges’ retirement is funded by convictions and fines, had nothing to do with my false conviction. I’ve been in court as a defendant and as a plaintiff or lay counsel. I sat in on court sessions all day for several days recently, and not a single person was found not guilty. The best a lawyer can do is negotiate the amount of your punishment and fine.
Since that stupidity, I have done without a drivers’ license and have replaced my prescription medications with traditional chinese medicine, diet and exercise, and over the counter medications. That alone earned me an 8-day stay in the local mental institution, where I was evaluated for “instability.” In reality, the old, scared, white people were certain I must be in need of institutionalization since my life no longer revolved around the pharmacy. I was able to be persuasive enough that a leading medical doctor, after researching the plant-based medicines I used, discharged me with nothing but a recommendation that I call my doctor and an appreciation for non western medicine. I was lucky. I might have spent a couple years in various institutions, for my own good of course, until I publicly proclaimed my sobriety and moral rehabilitation.
Again, too many people make too much money from prohibition. The system as it exists now, is nothing but government-sponsored re-programming. It has no redeeming value to the public. It funds some of the worst hate mongers in the public sector.
I am not politically active, though the harm of prohibition and the crazy penalties imposed have impacted the lives of every citizen in my generation to the point that I take the opportunity to speak honestly when I can. If the prohibitionists succeed in harassing me for being honest, I’ll take the next greyhound to Denver or LA.
It’s time to stop the madness –the madness of prohibition. Imagine how much better police would be regarded by citizens if they didn’t have to enforce unpopular prohibition laws. Imagine a young person who over indulges in a substance being able to seek help without being branded as an “addict” and losing the right to a student loan, a mortgage, a decent job, the right to vote, ad nauseum. Imagine a professional helping someone to learn moderation rather than forcing each patient to repeat the “I will never even use aspirin again while I cling to my 20 oz. coffee cup” mantra of the dry drunks employed as counselors. These unreasonable people will not ‘pass’ anyone through one of their mandatory programs unless they preach total abstinence and moral recovery. What happened to moderation and self-control?
I’ve succeeded in spending an hour writing this manifesto when I should be working on my tax filing. As a citizen and as a Christian, I’ve been misinformed by both government agencies and fellow Christians and have been discouraged from expressing any reasonable attitude for fear of being branded ‘immoral’ or a ‘sorcerer’. Wouldn’t want to upset the sheeple. I’ve suffered for 40 years with that BS and believe it is time to stop the madness.
If anyone in the nanny state has the courage to publish an honest interview with a citizen, I’ll take the chance than some retard will try character assassination rather than logic or reason to justify their support of prohibition. I’d send this to the media outlets, but they censor everything, and refuse to discuss it out of fear of retaliation.
Fee free to publish this anywhere you like. I place it in the public domain.