With overwhelming public support, N.H. advocates press forward with new medical marijuana bill in 2013
Medical marijuana bills have gone to the New Hampshire governor’s desk in both 2009 and 2012, and both times they were vetoed and ultimately killed. But the political landscape looks much different in 2013. The state has a new chief executive, Gov. Maggie Hassan, who supported allowing medical marijuana throughout her campaign and as Senate Majority Leader in 2009. With support from Gov. Hassan, New Hampshire patients are more confident than ever before that the new bill, HB 573, will pass in 2013.
Polls show that support is stronger than ever. A Granite State Poll conducted in February by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that a whopping 79% of voters support allowing medical marijuana. Results are available here.
Now that Massachusetts has become the 18th state to allow medical marijuana, New Hampshire is the only New England state that does not protect patients if their doctors recommend medical marijuana. It would be a tragedy for patients not to receive the protections they deserve in 2013.
Please contact your legislators today and urge them to support HB 573!
Also, don't forget to sign up for our New Hampshire alerts so we can keep you posted on new developments in the effort to finally give New Hampshire patients the protection they deserve.
Are you a patient?
If you are supportive and are a medical professional, a seriously ill patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, a law enforcement official, a clergy member, or a member of the legal community, or you know someone else that is, please email msimon@mpp.org to see how you can be of special help. Please include your address or nine-digit ZIP code.
House considers several other marijuana policy reform bills in 2013
HB 621 would reduce the penalty for possessing less than one ounce of marijuana to a violation punishable by a fine of up to $100. A similar bill, HB 1526, passed the House in a 162-161 vote on March 8, 2012, but it was unanimously rejected by the Senate. Previously, in 2010, the New Hampshire House passed HB 1653 (213-137), but it was rejected by the Senate following a veto threat by Gov. John Lynch.
HB 492 would make marijuana legal for adults 21 and over, allowing individuals to cultivate up to six plants (three mature) for personal use and setting up a framework for taxing and regulating the production and sale of marijuana. A similar bill, HB 1705, fell one vote short in 2012 of being approved by the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee (motion failed 8-9). On March 8, 2012, the full House voted the bill down in a 228-89 vote. The good news is that 89 representatives went on record in favor of taxing and regulating marijuana!
Finally, HB 337 would entirely remove marijuana from the New Hampshire criminal code. Similar bills have been introduced in New Hampshire in the past, but none has received significant support from legislators.
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