KEENE -- While St. Patrick's Day enthusiasts participated in the "wearing of the green" in downtown Keene Thursday afternoon, a small group of activists celebrated a different type of green at Central Square. Smoking pipes and rolled blunts, activists used marijuana as a way to express "self-ownership," according to one participant. This group of nearly 20 was the first of this year to hold a rally supporting marijuana legalization, but similar demonstrations have been a fixture in Central Square since 2009. [continues 348 words]
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is taking another look at permitting the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The House Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee recently endorsed HB 442 by a 14-3 vote. In 2009 Gov. John Lynch vetoed a medical marijuana bill because he felt the distribution and monitoring provisions were not strong enough. Foster's believes that was the right decision then and should be the measure of the current bill. Efforts to properly provide medical marijuana have been made a joke by legalization in California. State lawmakers there may as well have just outright legalized pot, given the lack of controls placed on growing and dispensing it. [continues 209 words]
Marijuana makes for strange bedfellows. Liberal Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans are finding common cause in supporting a House bill that would legalize medical marijuana. "This is a bill whose message has been heard loud and clear," said bill sponsor Rep. Evalyn Merrick, a Lancaster Democrat. "I sense we'll have a good deal of support on both sides of the aisle." The Democratic-controlled Legislature passed a bill allowing medical marijuana in 2009, but Democratic Gov. John Lynch vetoed it. The House overrode the veto, but the Senate came up two votes short. [continues 1097 words]
The recreational use of a drug intended to fight opiate dependency is growing in Nashua. Since 2009 there have been 16 Suboxone-related arrests in Nashua five for intent to distribute. Nationally, it is listed as the second-highest cause of accidental deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2007, 27,658 such deaths were reported. Nashua police Lt. Scott Hammond, head of the narcotics division, said it's common for addicts to sell Suboxone to purchase heroin. [continues 545 words]
The New Hampshire Legislature is once again trying to help patients have access to medical marijuana. It is under deliberation by the Health and Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, until March 10. Marijuana has been proven to safely and effectively alleviate side effects of cancer-fighting medicines. It has been proven a safe and effective treatment for many ailments, including but definitely not limited to cancer, AIDS, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, anxiety, depression, alcohol addiction, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms. It is cruel to deny any person a safe and effective means of treating an ailment - and beyond words to make them criminals to do so. It is a huge waste of our time, energy, resources and especially tax dollars to arrest, prosecute and penalize sick people. I urge you all to have a heart and contact your legislators. Tell them to vote Yes on HB 442. Wilmot [end]
The New Hampshire Legislature is once again trying to help patients get access to medical marijuana with HB 442, which is scheduled for a hearing before the Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee on March 10. Marijuana has been proven to safely and effectively alleviate side affects of cancer-fighting medicines. It has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment in many ailments, including but definitely not limited to cancer, AIDS, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, anxiety, depression, alcohol addiction, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms. [continues 76 words]
However one stands on the continued employment of the Keene elementary school teacher who was put on leave pending his prosecution and ultimate conviction for a marijuana-related misdemeanor, the school administration is handling the financial consequences of the matter in the right way. Against its own preferences, the administration was ordered by the school board to keep 3rd grade teacher Darrel L. Beymer on the Symonds School payroll. After complaints by some parents, however, he will return to school in a different job until September, and a substitute will be paid to handle his teaching responsibilities for the remainder of the year. [continues 256 words]
Last Thursday, President Barack Obama took questions submitted online in video and text format in the spirit of his State of the Union address two days earlier. The President has conducted these in previous years, but this year's town hall was a bit different. The most popular video this year was one from retired deputy sheriff MacKenzie Allen, a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). He took his time to ask the president whether there should come a time for us to discuss the possibility of legalization, regulation and control of all drugs in hopes of an alternative to the current system of zero-tolerance prohibition. Where the President would've laughed this question off to the anxious-to-please audience in D.C. in years past, this year he chose to air and answer Mr. Allen's question. [continues 603 words]
In a recent national survey, more teenagers reported having used marijuana in the 30 days prior to the poll than reported having smoked cigarettes. It was the first time in 30 years that pot outpaced cigarettes. In New Hampshire, recent rates of marijuana use among youth have been among the highest in the country, according to the 2009 New Hampshire Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In that survey, conducted every two years, high school students were asked whether they had smoked pot within the previous 30 days. Since 2003, about 25 to 30 percent have said they had. [continues 473 words]
ROCHESTER -- Drug dog services were brought to Spaulding High School for the first time this school year in early December, Superintendent Mike Hopkins told the School Board Thursday. A routine locker and classroom search was conducted, and Hopkins explained the district has been doing drug searches for around six years now and it serves as a reminder to students of the "no drug" policy. At Thursday's School Board meeting, resident Michelle Paradiso expressed displeasure with this action, saying she was upset to hear her son and his classmates were removed from their classroom so the police and dogs could search their belongings. [continues 346 words]
If the Telegraph accepts that the state court system is facing serious staffing and funding woes (Dec. 2 editorial: "Good law emerges from bad pot case"), accepts the production, sale and recreational use of alcohol, and accepts the notion of live free or die, then maybe The Telegraph will editorialize to legalize cannabis (marijuana) in the future. While David Orde's case focused on his right to privacy, the overwhelming truth is that government should not be in the business of caging responsible adults for using or growing cannabis to begin with. Stan White Dillon, Colo. [end]
Legal substance mimics marijuana Officials in Franklin are trying to ban the sale of a K2, a legal synthetic marijuana product that has popped up in gas stations and head shops across the country. The city's efforts coincide with an announcement by the Drug Enforcement Administration that the substance will be banned for a year beginning this month while the agency investigates its use. K2, along with other brands such as Spice, is a mixture of herbs and spices that is sprayed with a drug that mimics the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, according to the DEA. While the drug in K2, JWH-018, binds to the same receptors in the brain as THC, its chemical composition is different from that of synthetic THC. [continues 374 words]
November's midterm elections included ballot measures in five states that would either legalize or decriminalize marijuana. Even though every measure failed, the results show that a substantial support base for marijuana reform may exist and perhaps is ready to be heard. In California voters rejected the idea of legalizing and taxing marijuana represented by Proposition 19. However, 46 percent of voters voted in favor of the measure. Consider the 12 states that have already passed decriminalization legislation, which converts small marijuana-related offenses from criminal offenses to civil infractions or fines. [continues 2080 words]
As food was passed around the table at Thanksgiving, I passed on the asparagus. I actually like asparagus; a lot really. But, I have found myself at increasing odds with the flowering perennial plant species. It began with my personal fight against pork-filled farm bills that help bloat our annual budget deficits and the our national debt. The national debt was darn close to $13.9 trillion as of 12:45 p.m. Thursday. American taxpayers subsidize the growth of asparagus in more ways than one, as I recently learned. I did not ask the family if they knew where the asparagus was harvested, as it would have sparked fiery political debate, which can ruin any Thanksgiving meal. [continues 838 words]
In support of Darryl Beymer: A great teacher is a precious asset. I don't know Darrel Beymer personally, and I've only recently become a resident of Keene. I've read the story, and I can only say this: Please do not persecute this man for growing marijuana for his personal use. We all know that marijuana has been widely accepted for medicinal uses. In fact, it is legal in many states and the personal use of pot poses no threat to anybody. [continues 186 words]
HOLLIS - As David Orde sees it, marijuana and it's legal status wasn't really the point of what happened to him, but it is now. Orde, 55, owner of Lull Farm, spent some $150,000 to fight felony charges that resulted after police found more than a dozen marijuana plants growing in pots on the deck of his home at [address redacted]. On Tuesday, the New Hampshire Supreme Court reversed Orde's conviction, finding that police overstepped their authority and violated Orde's constitutional right to privacy. The ruling clearly came as a relief and vindication, and Orde said Wednesday it was worth the fight. [continues 655 words]
During the past few years, we have not been bashful about expressing our opinion on several marijuana-related issues that have come up before the state Legislature. We support the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana. We support the use of medical marijuana by the chronically ill, if recommended by a doctor. We don't support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes. So you might think we were disappointed to learn Tuesday that the New Hampshire Supreme Court had overturned the conviction of David Orde, the well-known Lull Farm owner who was found guilty last fall after admitting to growing marijuana at his Hollis home. [continues 612 words]
Marijuana is safer than alcohol. Let that little bit set in, and then let's open up discussion. Note: You may want to open a web browser to check these facts for yourself if you are reluctant to take my word. Alcohol claims 35,000 lives a year. Marijuana? Mary Jane is not a killer and has never claimed a single life. Ever. In history. If that minute tidbit isn't enough to wrangle up some support, than how about this: [continues 236 words]
California's cannabis legalization measure Proposition 19 failed to pass, even though it had the full force of the national cannabis law reform movement behind it - and the support of smart people on the outside of the fray, like Harvard economist Jeffrey Miron. Post-election analysis will no doubt point to self-interested growers as the reason it didn't pass, since legalization would destroy the economics of a black market that has served illicit farmers well through the years. The bigger picture is that cannabis law reform groups are locked in advocacy models that emerged during the darkest period of this war on noncommercial drug use. Their defensive initiatives - festivals to attract like-minded folks, baby-step negotiations with lawmakers, fact-filled books and emotional documentaries - do nothing to reach the vast majority of Americans whose view of marijuana is still based on last-century propaganda. [continues 123 words]
CONCORD - Concord police were at the home of 13-year-old Frances Burke-Bevis yesterday to gather information for an official report after the youngster was bitten by a New Hampshire State Police drug-sniffing dog in her Warren Street neighborhood Thursday morning. "It's about time," said Kelly Burke, the girl's mother. She said the police agreed to file the report only after it was suggested by her husband and Francis' father, Mark Bevis. Bevis is news director for New Hampshire Public Radio. [continues 214 words]
June 29 - To the Editor: Re: "'Reefer Madness' playing now in the Portsmouth budget," Mark Brighton and Ramona Charland's recent rant about the City Council, other city officials and the city budget, let me just say that as an author and editor, I appreciate the use of metaphor every bit as much as the next guy. However, as a serious proponent of the legalization of medical marijuana in New Hampshire, the last thing I want to see is its trivialization in this fashion. [continues 66 words]
A miracle from Heaven is about to become the answer to a Portsmouth politician's prayers. Eliot, Maine, is soon to open a medical marijuana clinic. It is accepted that marijuana provides relief for pain and nausea. And there have certainly been enough of both in the current budget season. Councilor Ken Smith has to be in excruciating pain from all the contortions he has gone through trying to slide out from under the promise he made to bring in a budget decrease. Yes, councilor, that would be a budget that is actually smaller than the prior year's. We have to admit that it was painful to hear him try to shift responsibility for the city budget to the state Legislature. After listening to him, we may find it necessary to slip across the river ourselves. No, wait, we have no idea what to do with a joint, or if it's even still called that. [continues 671 words]
ELIOT, Maine -- Organizers behind a nonprofit entity looking to grow and dispense medical marijuana out of a locally based clinic cleared a substantial hurdle Saturday when town meeting voters shot down a proposed moratorium that would have allowed elected Eliot officials more time to study the issue before permitting such activities within the town. Substantial debate over the topic preceded a simple hand vote that saw the proposed moratorium failing to pass muster, with some voters saying they didn't want to support a temporary ban that seemed too open-ended, with one resident arguing it would let selectmen study the issue "in perpetuity." [continues 774 words]
Police Steer Clear of Smoking Crowd About 50 people - one carrying an 11-day-old baby - gathered outside the State House yesterday, some smoking marijuana, to advocate the drug's legalization. It was a typical "420" event, except no one left in handcuffs. And that meant no arrest footage for YouTube with headlines like one out of a recent Nashua rally: "Police Attack Freedom Celebration." That was intentional. On Monday, Concord police Chief Robert Barry said his department would treat the rally as "business as usual." If the station received a complaint about noise or drug use while the rally participants were on city property, officers would respond, he said. [continues 608 words]
Regarding your March 30 editorial, "Governor too quick to snuff out pot bill," the drug war is largely a war on marijuana smokers. In 2008, there were 847,863 marijuana arrests in the U.S., almost 90 percent for simple possession. At a time when state and local governments are laying off police, firefighters and teachers, this country continues to spend enormous public resources criminalizing Americans who prefer marijuana to martinis. The end result of this ongoing culture war is not necessarily lower rates of use. The U.S. has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. Decriminalization is a long overdue step in the right direction. Taxing and regulating marijuana would render the drug war obsolete. As long as organized crime controls marijuana distribution, consumers will continue to come into contact with sellers of hard drugs like heroin. This "gateway" is a direct result of marijuana prohibition. Robert Sharpe, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. [end]
Thirteen years ago, Rep. Timothy Robertson, D-Keene, introduced legislation that would decriminalize possession of less than 11/2 ounces of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor to a violation. That 1997 bill (HB 118) -- the earliest such bill to be found in the state's electronic archives that date back to 1989 -- was referred to the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, where it was summarily stamped with the dreaded "inexpedient to legislate" tag by a 17-0 vote. The House of Representatives promptly followed suit by killing the bill on a voice vote. [continues 579 words]
NASHUA -- Smoking a little weed is hardly the point of a series of protests on Library Hill that started a week ago, organizers said. Those puffs of smoke are emblematic of larger qualms the protesters have with what they call government interference in their lives and violent tactics employed by police. "Doing drugs is stupid. Stupid shouldn't be illegal," Eric Freeman said. "The ultimate point is we're peaceful people trying to prove a point, and (the police's) first response is violence." [continues 1153 words]
To the Editor: When you cast your vote to increase access to medical marijuana, you were part of 59 percent of us who did so. Maybe you did so because you know someone who uses marijuana to alleviate symptoms of debilitating conditions or maybe because you have compassion and people should have the autonomy to choose their own treatments. Maybe you voted for this because you realize marijuana is proportionately benign; especially in comparison to Oxycontin or other opiates that are actually physically addictive and have proven to be a blight on our society. Maybe you realized prohibition increases the black market and does very little to decrease use. Or maybe you really don't care what others choose to do in the privacy of their own lives. Regardless of your reasons, your vote was part of the 59 percent. [continues 168 words]
While gambling schemes may deliver economic benefits ("Boost gambling to save NH way," by Scott Flegal), it's just more bread and circus -- entertainment venues that produce nothing of lasting value. Gambling offers no direct benefit to rural taxpayers who choose not to work and play in that sort of economy. As a farm state struggling through this recession, New Hampshire would be better served by legalizing the cultivation of agricultural cannabis. Industrial hemp (not marijuana) is a hardy, high-yield-per-acre crop that yields nutritious seeds, valuable oils, and superior fiber for paper, pressboard, cordage and cloth -- without heavy use of farm chemicals. [continues 109 words]
GOFFSTOWN - A Weare couple whose son's alleged marijuana distribution ring got them and 11 other people arrested said before his arraignment that drug laws need to be changed. James Cashman, 25, of 64 Burnt Hill Road, Weare, was arraigned in Goffstown District Court yesterday, where Judge Paul Lawrence set bail at $100,000 cash. Police said Cashman sold marijuana out of the home for at least a year and had as many as 130 customers a week, many of them high school students. He's charged with nine counts of selling a controlled drug and one count of conspiracy to sell drugs, police said. [continues 663 words]
More than a year after Massachusetts decriminalized marijuana possession, New Hampshire lawmakers are thinking about doing the same - -- or even taxing and regulating cannabis. The ailing economy and budgetary crisis are prompting legislators to take a second or, at least, a longer look at House Bill 1652. This proposal would allow adults to possess 1 ounce or less, provide for state regulation, and tax marijuana's wholesale and retail sale. Prime sponsor Rep. Calvin Pratt, R-Goffstown, said he doesn't expect it to become law this year, but if tough economic challenges linger, the bill may be approved in years to come. [continues 1174 words]
EPPING - A police officer who was called "unstable" by fellow officers and described by his chief as someone who "shouldn't wear the badge" of a law enforcement agency says he'll be back on the job tomorrow. Officer Bradley Jardis is returning to work after passing a psychological evaluation ordered by selectmen who refused to fire him despite Police Chief Gregory Dodge's recommendation that he be terminated. 09n03bradleyJardis_70px Jardis, 29, of Hooksett, is returning to the force after being suspended and placed on paid leave following an internal investigation. The probe resulted from a disagreement between him and then-Sgt. Sean Gallagher over the handling of a case last July. [continues 364 words]
Marijuana was in the news in New Hampshire in 2009. Hollis farmer David Orde's arrest for growing pot drew widespread interest, and the spotlight was later trained on the state Legislature after it tried to legalize marijuana for medical use. Orde, 54, was arrested in July 2008 on felony marijuana-growing charges after a Hollis police officer went to serve him with a complaint for failing to license his dog. After getting no answer at the main door, the officer went around to the side of the house at 2 Blood Road and spotted 16 marijuana plants growing in pots on a deck. [continues 258 words]
LYNDEBOROUGH -- Carl Hedberg calls himself a "cannabis care coach," and he's on a mission to help others reduce their pain. Four years ago, Hedberg, 53, had exhausted all methods to try to alleviate his chronic migraines. Over-the-counter and prescribed medication weren't working. In an effort to find a successful alternative that would also decrease his use of pharmaceutical painkillers, he began to do research. He discovered Dr. Lester Grinspoon's books, which outlined the positive and negative uses of medicinal marijuana. After meeting with him, Hedberg, who said he had used marijuana recreationally in college, decided to take small doses of it for his headaches. It was a success. [continues 1020 words]
Chances are you've done it. Or if you haven't, chances are you know someone who does. Chances are your mom and dad did it back in the day-maybe they still do. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, it's the country's most commonly used illegal substance. And chances are, you still don't like to discuss it-but there's a new student organization in town that wants to change the way we talk about pot. The new UNH chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Law is setting out to educate students about their rights, and to work from the ground up on reforming marijuana law. [continues 496 words]
EPPING - A suspended police officer who is fighting to keep his job will plead his case at a public hearing before selectmen Monday night. Bradley Jardis is challenging a 6-day suspension from early August and a recommendation made by police Chief Gregory Dodge two weeks ago that Jardis be fired. The hearing begins at 7:15 p.m. during the regular selectmen's meeting in town hall. Personnel matters are generally discussed behind closed doors in a non-public session, but in an unusual move, Jardis waived his right to a private hearing and requested that it be open to the public. [continues 326 words]
EPPING - A local police officer fighting his suspension may not get the public hearing he wanted to air his complaints. Selectmen have rejected a request by Officer Bradley Jardis for a hearing before the board. In a letter dated Oct. 26, Tom Gauthier, chairman of the board of selectmen, wrote that the board turned down the request because it wasn't "written, delivered or filed" in a timely manner. Jardis is challenging Police Chief Gregory Dodge's decision last month to uphold a six-day suspension brought against him in July. The suspension followed an internal investigation into a dispute between Jardis and then-Sgt. Sean Gallagher and an e-mail that Jardis sent to police union members which police Lt. Michael Wallace felt contained "inflammatory" language directed at him and Detective Richard Cote. [continues 284 words]
EPPING - A local police officer who claims he has been targeted because of his involvement with a group that wants to legalize drugs has been suspended from the force. Officer Bradley Jardis said he was told Monday that he was being suspended with pay pending an investigation. Police Chief Gregory Dodge would not comment on the suspension, but Jardis said he believes it resulted from his decision to go public with disciplinary action taken against him in July and claims that he has been ridiculed by certain Epping police personnel because he's a member of an international organization called Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. [continues 531 words]
The state Senate voted Wednesday against overriding Governor Lynch's veto of a bill that would have legalized the use of medical marijuana by severely ill patients whose doctors recommend the drug. After being passed in the House by a margin of 240-115, the effort to override the veto came to an end in the Senate, where the override fell short by just two votes. If passed, the override would have made New Hampshire. the 14th state in the country to legalize marijuana use for severely ill patients. [continues 285 words]
Gov. John Lynch's veto of the medical marijuana bill fell short of an override in the Senate this week. It was just as well. Now the Legislature and the governor can revisit the measure and come up with something that better represents the interests of the people of New Hampshire. Lynch took issue with the wording of the measure, citing concerns over distribution and cultivation. He also objected to the bill not clearly restricting marijuana use to people suffering severe pain, seizures or nausea. [continues 473 words]
CONCORD - The determined opposition of nine state Senate Republicans and one Democrat blocked New Hampshire from becoming one of 14 states that legalized the possession of marijuana by chronically ill patients and their caregivers. Wednesday's 14-10 vote to override Gov. John Lynch's July veto of the bill fell two votes shy of the super-majority needed to defy Lynch's action and pass the bill into law. After three months of private lobbying, no minds were changed as the Senate vote was identical to the one when it sent the measure to Lynch's desk back in May. [continues 981 words]
U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte recently sent a mass mailer to select New Hampshire voters declaring that "doctors and patients should be making decisions on health care, not bureaucrats." Perhaps this means she has changed her position on HB 648, the medical marijuana bill which she opposed so strenuously earlier this year when she was attorney general? The bill, which faces its final vote Oct. 28, would have faced few hurdles if Ayotte and her office had not opposed it so vociferously. [continues 151 words]
KEENE - Councilors voted Thursday night to send letters to state lawmakers expressing their individual opinions on decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The 9-5 vote came in response to a request made last month by retired Keene police officer and former city councilman Frederick Parsells. He had asked councilors to write a resolution advising legislators that the city backs decriminalization. The resolution would have had no legal weight; its intent was to send a strong message to Concord, Parsells said. [continues 119 words]
But Afternoon Rally Stays Trouble-Free People again lit up for marijuana legalization in Keene's Central Square Friday in a protest that's given new meaning to the word "grassroots." Drivers honked. A sign proclaimed pot safer than prison. Even the soldier statue in Central Square got into the act with a sign that read "4:20 Everyday." During the ganja-happy gathering that's recently become a daily event downtown, people congregate to smoke at 4:20 p.m., a number identified with the marijuana subculture. [continues 703 words]
KEENE - As city councilors debate a resolution to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, a small group has quietly taken matters into their own hands -- lighting up on Central Square. "Every day at 4:20 p.m., we get together to smoke pot in the square," Noah Wood, 19, of Keene said yesterday. "Everyone smokes it. Well maybe not everyone, I'm sure, but a lot of people smoke it and so why keep it a secret? Why keep it illegal? It should be out in the open." [continues 930 words]
Unless you hid under a rock all summer, you know most Americans don't want government interference in their health care. Democrats and Republicans may have their differences, but there is universal agreement that decisions regarding medical treatments must be exclusively between the doctor and patient. If a doctor and patient agree on a particular course of treatment, then the patient should be permitted to access that treatment, and neither the government nor insurance companies should have any business blocking this process. All agree? [continues 596 words]
I suggest strongly that marijuana be made legal. As long as it isn't, a few people are making the big money. It should be taxed the same way that cigarettes are. And the price should be the same as cigarettes. Please understand, I am not suggesting that people should smoke. I did. I had no problem stopping - I just waited too long! Now I shall be on oxygen for the rest of my life. The rules for marijuana should be the same as for cigarettes: only allowed for people of certain ages and in certain places. The tax revenue could be used for green projects - solar power, wind power, cars that run on electricity. Think about it! Marilyn Winney Hillsboro [end]
Dear honorable representatives of the American people: The so-called "drug war" is a blatantly dishonest, extremely expensive, highly destructive, grossly unjust, abject failure of our government. Despite 30 years and more than a trillion dollars of taxpayer money spent trying to stop - not robbery, not rape, not murder, not even shoplifting - but trying to stop adults from using certain arbitrarily banned drugs, despite draconian punishments, despite currently jailing 500,000 nonviolent American citizens, despite tens of thousands of prohibition-related murders, these drugs are cheaper, purer and more readily available than ever. [continues 690 words]
I'm responding to the outstanding op-ed by Dennis Acton on July 5 titled "Republicans would be wise to support medical marijuana, too." I'd like to add that one of the medications prescribed by my personal physician for my arthritis pain and inflammation has the rare potential side effect of death. In other words, if I take this medication as prescribed, I can die as a result. On the other hand, marijuana has never been documented to kill a single person in the 5,000-year history of its use. [continues 73 words]
Gov. John Lynch closed the door on the legal use of medical marijuana this month when he vetoed a bill that would have made New Hampshire the 14th state to legalize its use - but he didn't lock it. His veto message ended with regret that he couldn't sign the bill into law. The governor claims that the bill, despite monumental efforts by lawmakers to revise it to meet his concerns, still contains too many flaws. Since the law would be the toughest of any state that sanctions the use of medical marijuana, those concerns are almost certainly overblown. [continues 479 words]
Inside New Hampshire
