New Hampshire Moves Forward Without Homegrow Provision

[trix]

 New Hampshire Moves Forward Without Homegrow Provision

Negotiators in New Hampshire’s House and Senate met Tuesday to discuss a provision in the state’s proposed medical marijuana bill that would allow patients to grow their own medicine at home.  The Senate believed that patients should not be able to grow at home, while the House left the growing provision in.

After meeting to negotiate yesterday, the House and Senate agreed to remove the homegrow provision from New Hampshire’s proposed medical marijuana law.

 

In exchange for the House agreeing to remove the homegrow provision,  the Senate agreed to specify that the commission implementing the system would be appointed as soon as the bill is passed, in order to ensure that patients gain access to their medical marijuana as quickly as possible.

 

In addition to the Senate not approving of people growing their own medicine, New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan said that she would not sign the bill into law if the home grow provision remained.

 

Those lawmakers who were opposed to letting patients grow their own marijuana feared that it would be difficult to regulate and that medical marijuana could be used as a front for the black market. 

 

Supporters, on the other hand, believed that allowing people to grow at home was necessary in order to guarantee immediate access to medicine.  Writing the rules for the medical marijuana dispensaries could take up to a year, leaving patients with no access to medicine.

 

Representative Donna Schlachman, the bill’s main sponsor, expressed disappointment in the decision to eliminate homegrows without the establishment of other safeguards for patients until dispensaries are up and running. 

 

She stated, “We  have really opened this bill up so law enforcement in any town that is really against any form of the legalization of therapeutic cannabis is in a position to arrest people simply because they’ve applied for their card and it hasn’t come in yet.”

 

Despite some lawmakers’ disappointment and disapproval, this compromise means that New Hampshire is not far from legalizing medical marijuana.

 

[Source]

[trix]

dispensaries, dispensaries, dispensaries.. There must be 5 more article's like this in different states.. It's the future, they are holding hearings here about provisioning centers.. what do you think will come next for us?

"Grow it if you got it"

Trix

[Hayduke]

The earliest 4271 will be heard (if at all) is after Labor Day when the House is back in session.

 

While no one knows for sure, it is my opinion this bill is done for this year.  They got their sorta hearing on "distribution" where Rep Cotter (the chair) made it clear this was not to be a hearing for HB 4271.  That means Rep Callton basically delivered what he promised:  He would try and get a hearing.  Oops, he just did not have the juice to influence the Chair of the Judiciary to bring this bill up for debate, discussion, testimony or a vote.

[imiubu]

Thank you Hayduke