Will You Sign This Petition to Legalize Cannabis in New Hampshire?

Ahhhh, a good ole petition.

Petitions are always funny to me. I think they feel silly, underachieving, and kind of a pipe dream. However, petitions are often critical to show public support or opposition to a proposed law.

In this case, I am pushing a petition, and it is all around the legalization of cannabis in New Hampshire.

According to the petition to legalize cannabis in the Granite State,

Last week, “Live Free” Cannabis Bill HB1633 passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support.

That does not mean it is legal yet. We need the people of New Hampshire to step up and show REAL support by signing this petition.

Currently, New Hampshire is the ONLY New England state where cannabis is not recreationally legal. What are we living in, prohibition?

I have so many strong feelings about this, and angles to defend the need for legalization.

1. The free state stance: Our state motto is "Live Free or Die."  You can drive without a seatbelt, you can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but you cannot indulge in THC. Cannabis use (recreationally) should be a freedom that our government should not be able to control.

2. The benefit to you stance: Recreational cannabis has an enormous amount of benefits, including helping anxiety and depression, helping lack of sleep, and even minimizing stress.

We are allowed to drink a glass of wine every night if we have a long day and want to take the edge off. However, you are forbidden to consume THC to destress, even though it has proven benefits and won't make you hungover the next morning.

3. The benefit to the state stance: TAXES BABY. New Hampshire is LOSING money to Maine and Massachusetts, with people spending their money supporting those states where cannabis is recreationally legal, instead of spending it in New Hampshire.

"States with legal marijuana have collected $15 billion in tax revenue between 2014-2022," according to a Zippia article. Our state is literally losing millions of dollars, nearing the billion mark, to our neighboring states. Think about the potholes we could fix with all of that money.

We need to come together. Sign this petition (found here) and make the change.

According to the petition:

Some senators insist that cannabis must be regulated through a franchise model that will favor out-of-state corporate interests, rather than an agency store model that will favor an entrepreneurial free market approach while providing significant oversight by the Liquor Commission.

Please let your State Senator know that it is time for New Hampshire to join its sister New England states in embracing both the healthcare and economic benefits of Cannabis. It is long past due.