Yesterday the house Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee heard not just one, but two cannabis legalization bills, in addition to a decriminalization proposal. The hearing was populated with the usual bureaucrats and law enforcement busybodies, as well as a number of professionals, activists, and entrepreneurs speaking in favor. HB 492 presents a controlled, “tax and regulate” schema for cannabis distribution in New Hampshire. HB 337, if passed, would result in a much simpler legalization, only removing prohibitions from state law, making the substance just as legal and tomatoes, basil, and other plants and herbs. A decriminalization proposal, HB 621, would make possession of under an ounce punishable by no more than a $100 fine.
The Union Leader has published a summary. Video and written coverage has also been published regarding HB 492 at adventuresinthefreestate.com, which also links to other mainstream coverage of the historic hearing.
Embedded below is the first of many Free Concord videos in a playlist from the public testimony during HB 492 and HB 337.
In the spirit of the Franklin Youth Initiative, government school programs turned out schoolchildren in opposition to any leniency upon the cannabis consumer plague.
