Should NH legalize recreational marijuana?
The Legislature released a text of a marijuana legalization bill this week. HB 656 legalizes and taxes marijuana cultivation and use for persons age twenty-one and older.
The bill outlines various regulations, from the ability of municipalities to control the location of marijuana establishments, to labels disclosing the THC in each serving of a marijuana product.
The bill also legalizes hemp.
70% of the tax revenue from marijuana sales would go to property tax reduction. The remaining 30% would go to the alcohol abuse prevention and treatment fund.
Bill supporters point out that both Maine and Massachusetts voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana last November. Colorado’s experience has already proven that the legalization of marijuana is not catastrophic. Instead, marijuana taxes can generate significant revenue for state government.
Based on statistics about marijuana use, the Department of Revenue Administration estimates HB 656 would generate between $42 million to $53 million annually for New Hampshire.
Bill opponents argue that New Hampshire should not move to legalize any drugs when the state is in the middle of a drug addiction crisis; it sends the wrong message to the public about substance abuse.
The Department of Safety also expects that marijuana legalization would lead to more intoxicated driving and collisions.
Do you support the legalization of marijuana? Join the discussion on Facebook. Comments received before the night of January 29 will be included in a summary of this discussion and presented as testimony at the legislative public hearing on this bill. Only comments from NH residents will be counted, so please indicate if you are from NH in your response.
UPDATE: Read our Citizen Voices℠ report on this issue and find out where New Hampshire stands on legalizing recreational marijuana.
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