Gov. John Lynch vetoed legislation Friday that would have made New Hampshire the 14th state to legalize marijuana use by severely ill people, citing concerns over distribution and cultivation.
Lawmakers had made extensive changes to the bill in hopes of winning over Lynch, who had been critical from the start. But the governor said Friday that the bill still has too many defects.
"I understand and empathize with the advocates for allowing medical marijuana use in New Hampshire. However, the fact remains that marijuana use for any purpose remains illegal under federal law," Lynch said in his veto message.
"Therefore, if we are to allow its use in New Hampshire for medical purposes, we must ensure that we are implementing the right policy. We cannot set a lower bar for medical marijuana than we do for other controlled substances, and we cannot implement a law that still has serious flaws."
The bill passed the House 232-108 last month and the Senate 14-10. Depending on attendance, the House may have the two-thirds support to override, but supporters need two more votes in the Senate.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Evalyn Merrick, said Friday she will push for an override.
"The bill the governor vetoed is probably the most tightly crafted and controlled medicinal marijuana legislation in history," she said. "This is clearly a politically directed decision, based on misinformation and lies."
If the veto is overridden, the bill would establish three nonprofit "compassion centers" to dispense 2 ounces of marijuana every 10 days to severely ill patients whose doctors approve the drug's use. The state would license the centers and issue identification cards to their staff, approved patients and their caregivers.
Lynch said the bill did not adequately address law enforcement concerns about how the marijuana would have been cultivated and distributed.
He said he was particularly concerned about the potential for unauthorized distribution, given that in addition to patients and designated caregivers, an unlimited number of compassion center volunteers also would have access to the drug.
And he took issue with the amount of drug allowed to be dispensed, saying the potency of marijuana can vary greatly depending on how it is cultivated.
But Merrick said allowing only the compassion centers to grow marijuana would assure the drug's consistency. And she said the number of volunteers would be limited.
Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, chairwoman of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, said she was disappointed with Lynch's decision. Though she opposed similar legislation in past years, she helped win passage of the current bill.
"This one was so narrow, so tight so restrictive, that I thought, 'Let's leave this up to doctors and patients,'" said Rosenwald, a Nashua Democrat. "We had an opportunity to protect some of our sickest patients."
The bill would make New Hampshire the third state to adopt a "pharmacy model" by licensing the compassion centers to grow and dispense marijuana to patients approved by doctors to receive the drug. Rhode Island and New Mexico have enacted similar models.
But Lynch said the bill does not clearly restrict the use of marijuana to patients who are suffering severe pain, seizures or nausea as a result of a qualifying medical condition.
Merrick disagreed.
"That language couldn't be much clearer," she said.
The bill is silent on the cost to patients, but supporters hope contributions will allow them to dispense the drug with little or no cost to patients. According to Lynch, the state's administrative costs would be so high that only the wealthiest patients would be able to afford to pay the resulting fees.
Merrick said any fees would be far lower than the cost of prescription medications that attempt to give the same relief.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Boston.com
Author: Holly Ramer
Contact: Boston.com
Copyright: 2009 NY Times Co.
Website: NH Governor Vetoes Medicinal Marijuana Bill
Lawmakers had made extensive changes to the bill in hopes of winning over Lynch, who had been critical from the start. But the governor said Friday that the bill still has too many defects.
"I understand and empathize with the advocates for allowing medical marijuana use in New Hampshire. However, the fact remains that marijuana use for any purpose remains illegal under federal law," Lynch said in his veto message.
"Therefore, if we are to allow its use in New Hampshire for medical purposes, we must ensure that we are implementing the right policy. We cannot set a lower bar for medical marijuana than we do for other controlled substances, and we cannot implement a law that still has serious flaws."
The bill passed the House 232-108 last month and the Senate 14-10. Depending on attendance, the House may have the two-thirds support to override, but supporters need two more votes in the Senate.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Evalyn Merrick, said Friday she will push for an override.
"The bill the governor vetoed is probably the most tightly crafted and controlled medicinal marijuana legislation in history," she said. "This is clearly a politically directed decision, based on misinformation and lies."
If the veto is overridden, the bill would establish three nonprofit "compassion centers" to dispense 2 ounces of marijuana every 10 days to severely ill patients whose doctors approve the drug's use. The state would license the centers and issue identification cards to their staff, approved patients and their caregivers.
Lynch said the bill did not adequately address law enforcement concerns about how the marijuana would have been cultivated and distributed.
He said he was particularly concerned about the potential for unauthorized distribution, given that in addition to patients and designated caregivers, an unlimited number of compassion center volunteers also would have access to the drug.
And he took issue with the amount of drug allowed to be dispensed, saying the potency of marijuana can vary greatly depending on how it is cultivated.
But Merrick said allowing only the compassion centers to grow marijuana would assure the drug's consistency. And she said the number of volunteers would be limited.
Rep. Cindy Rosenwald, chairwoman of the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee, said she was disappointed with Lynch's decision. Though she opposed similar legislation in past years, she helped win passage of the current bill.
"This one was so narrow, so tight so restrictive, that I thought, 'Let's leave this up to doctors and patients,'" said Rosenwald, a Nashua Democrat. "We had an opportunity to protect some of our sickest patients."
The bill would make New Hampshire the third state to adopt a "pharmacy model" by licensing the compassion centers to grow and dispense marijuana to patients approved by doctors to receive the drug. Rhode Island and New Mexico have enacted similar models.
But Lynch said the bill does not clearly restrict the use of marijuana to patients who are suffering severe pain, seizures or nausea as a result of a qualifying medical condition.
Merrick disagreed.
"That language couldn't be much clearer," she said.
The bill is silent on the cost to patients, but supporters hope contributions will allow them to dispense the drug with little or no cost to patients. According to Lynch, the state's administrative costs would be so high that only the wealthiest patients would be able to afford to pay the resulting fees.
Merrick said any fees would be far lower than the cost of prescription medications that attempt to give the same relief.
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Boston.com
Author: Holly Ramer
Contact: Boston.com
Copyright: 2009 NY Times Co.
Website: NH Governor Vetoes Medicinal Marijuana Bill
