May 07, 2014
collateral sanctions, decriminalization, Marked For Life, New England, New Hampshire, NH
A couple of weeks ago, the New Hampshire Senate refused to consider a bill that would have reduced marijuana penalties in the state, but MPP and its allies are not giving up on the 2014 session. Several representatives in the House are working to keep this issue alive, and we are still making the case that now is the time to stop criminalizing and jailing people for consuming a substance that is safer than alcohol.
Today, MPP released a new report — Marked for Life — that shows how the lifelong stigma associated with a marijuana conviction can derail dreams by making it difficult to obtain jobs, an education, and even housing. If you have experienced any of these collateral consequences of a conviction for simple possession, please let us know.
It’s past time for New Hampshire to catch up with 15 other states — including all five other New England states — by reducing the penalty for marijuana possession to a fine.