The prohibition of cannabis has been a failure. Collateral consequences associated with prohibition have resulted in massive damage to New Hampshire communities, families, our economy, and public trust in our justice system.

New Hampshire remains an island of prohibition in a sea of positive change. Every border of the Granite State has legal cannabis stores on the other side.

The reality is that more than 100,000 Granite Staters use cannabis and cannabis products on a regular basis. These are our friends, neighbors, and family members. It is far past time to stop treating cannabis users as criminals and end all the collateral consequences that come with prohibition.  

Legalizing cannabis would go a long way towards improving public trust with law enforcement since over 70% of Granite Staters, according to multiple polls, support legalizing cannabis.  Such a divide between law enforcement policy and public opinion is a recipe for the distrust we see of our criminal justice system today.  This must be corrected to ensure our justice system has the trust to carry out its critical business of keeping Granite Staters safe from more serious threats. 

 

I write today to ask that you support HB 639 to finally legalize cannabis in the Granite State!