NASHUA, N.H. — It seems like Gov. Chris Sununu is ready to “play” now when it comes to the recreational use of marijuana. New Hampshire remains the sole New England state that still hasn’t legalized use for Granite State adults. But it appears that could be changing.
“With the right policy and framework in place, I stand ready to sign a legalization bill that puts the State of New Hampshire in the driver’s seat,” the governor recently announced.
Members of The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee will vote on a legalization amendment during an executive session this week (more on that below).
It’s been a long and winding road for cannabis. If you look back to the 1970s, pot was very controversial, underground and considered a “gateway drug” into the harder stuff. President Richard Nixon’s war on drugs added marijuana to the list of the most dangerous substances in Congress’ Controlled Substances Act. Cannabis was classified as a Schedule 1 drug along with heroin and LSD. That meant it had no valid medical value and had a high potential for abuse.
I chuckle now when I recall my late newspaper father, John, warning me as a naive teen to be careful with whom I kept company. The conversation went something like this:
“You could be out on a date, and let’s say he takes you parking somewhere and then lights up a joint. The police happen to show up and arrest the young man for possession. And you could be charged for ‘knowingly being…
