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Medical Marijuana Picking Up Steam in New Hampshire

Feb 20, 2013

legislation, marijuana, medical, Medical Marijuana, MPP, New Hampshire


Medical Marijuana Picking Up Steam in New Hampshire

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan
— New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan
Things are looking good for a medical marijuana bill introduced in the New Hampshire legislature.

The Concord Monitor reports:

In advance of a hearing this week on a bill to legalize medical marijuana, a UNH-WMUR poll shows that 79 percent of New Hampshire adults support allowing doctors to recommend marijuana for patients suffering from serious illnesses. [emphasis added]

This year's bill, H.B. 573, is similar to a medical marijuana measure that passed last year with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, it was vetoed by then-governor John Lynch. The recent election of Gov. Maggie Hassan, however, bodes well for the future of the latest bill. According to a report from the Associated Press earlier this month:

Four years ago when she was a state senator, Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan voted to override one of the vetoes, which legalized the use of marijuana with a doctor’s prescription. She still supports tightly controlled, medicinal use of marijuana, spokesman Marc Goldberg said.

...

A bill will reach Hassan, House Democratic Leader Steve Shurtleff of Concord believes.