Dani Strehle
Senior Manager
It appears that New Hampshire is the most recent state to relax the typical penalty for marijuana-related-infractions. The bill (HB 1625) was passed by a landslide vote (215-92) by the New Hampshire House of Representatives earlier today.
Should the bill be implemented, the penalty for possessing under an ounce of pot would be a civil offense which could require the possessor to remit a $100 dollar fine. It would also allow an individual to grow up to six plants before the infraction is considered a felony.
At this time, New Hampshire is the last remaining New England state to imprison people for minor marijuana offenses. If you are found with even a stem, seed or speck of weed on your person, you could go to jail for a year and be forced to pay a $2,000 fine.
The bill still has a long way to go before it is written into legislation. It must still be passed by Senate, and even then there are no guarantees as Governor Maggie Hassan (D) has stated publicly in the past that she believes the continual decriminalization of marijuana sends “the wrong message” to children.
Perhaps the message should be that Colorado, the state that has already implemented the legalization of marijuana, raked in $2 million in taxes in ONE MONTH after the shops opened for business. That is an immediate influx of revenue for any state, let alone a tiny little hamlet like New Hampshire. It is regulated, it is controlled, it requires proper identification, it is safe, and it’s lucrative. Seems like a win-win-win-win, to me.
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