Maggie Hassan, despite signing medical cannabis legislation today making New Hampshire the 19th state to legalize cannabis for certain medicinal use, cannot claim to be a friend of the sick. Â Hassan would only sign the legislation if they removed home growing as an option, pulled PTSD off the list of approved uses, and gutted the affirmative defense provisions. Â All of those things make life more difficult on medical patients who just need their medicine.
Despite the bill not being optimal, it’s still a step in the direction of more personal freedom and choice. Â It took much effort on the part of liberty-oriented state reps as well as volunteers at groups like MPP.org and the NH Coalition for Common Sense, founded by Free State Project participant Matt Simon. Â Kudos to everyone who worked to make this happen. Â The next step will hopefully be more legislation that eases up the ridiculous restrictions that Hassan put in this legislation, so patients can access legal cannabis sooner. Â This current statute forces them to wait until the state’s dispensaries are ready to distribute, which could be years.
Hopefully Hassan will only be in one term and we can get someone with compassion for other humans in her place like liberty rep George Lambert, who is gearing up to run for governor in 2014.
