Marijuana Policy Project

NASHUA — Law enforcement officials whose towns sit on the state's southern border have a message for visitors from Massachusetts: Your drug laws may have changed, but ours haven't.

On Election Day, Bay State voters approved a proposition changing the state's drug laws. It decriminalized carrying up to an ounce of marijuana. Rather than facing criminal penalties, those found with the drug will receive a $100 fine.

The new law is expected to come into effect sometime in the next month, but police here say they don't expect to change the way they do business.

"If they're caught in New Hampshire (with marijuana) they're going to be prosecuted just like always," said Nashua Police Capt. Scott Howe.

Most border communities see a fair amount of drug traffic coming up from the south. That includes the Hudson Police Department, Capt. Donald Breault said.

"We're affected heavily by what goes on in surrounding towns," he said. "Anytime one of these cities puts a push on to clean up we see the effects of it. With this, I don't know if they did themselves any favors, but our stance is not changing. And hopefully it won't." The officers who've shared their opinions with Howe have said the same thing "" they hope New Hampshire doesn't follow Massachusetts' lead.

"People try to downplay marijuana, but at what point do we draw the line? My opinion is we draw it where it is, and don't flex it," he said.

Howe said according to his experience, marijuana is a gateway drug.

"I don't know too many people who've been on heroin, cocaine, hooked on prescription drugs — there aren't many of them who didn't start with marijuana," he said.

Drug use can also lead to other crimes, either because people on drugs commit crimes or people looking for money to buy drugs commit crimes, he said.

"Just about every violent crime we investigate is tied back to one of two things — domestic violence or drugs. Often it's both," said Howe.

And the amount voters in Massachusetts approved, an ounce, is fairly substantial. Howe said it can be used to make between 20 and 25 joints.

"To me, that's not catching a kid with one joint," he said.