New Hampshire moves toward decriminalizing marijuana

I do declare this is a great first step in the right direction. And I don't say that just because I sponsored the bill.

Marijuana should be decriminalized because think about it...alcohol is legal but when people get drunk, they often go off and get someone killed by drunk driving. And what do people do on marijuana? Like, sit at home on their couch...oooh dangerous.

We live in a country where it's okay to buy and consume alcohol...which in my personal opinion... has caused more problems than anything. Marijuana has always been considered the gateway drug...but I believe that's a lie. I believe that alcohol is the gateway drug. I don't think there's anything wrong with the decriminilization or even, legalization of marijuana. I think that marijuana has many unknown medicinal advantages that has yet to be proven by science. (Not to mention, the one's that have been proven.) I think if you were to ask any political leader that is against the decriminilization or legalization of marijuana if they would ever be for a bill that pushed for stricter alcohol laws, they would totally disagree. They would think you had lost your mind! (I'm sure half of all of our political leaders are alcoholics anyway!)
We just need a little bit of time. I think we will be seeing a lot of change in marijuana laws in the next 20 years or so. The younger generations are the only ones who are willing to and can make a change with this, it's obvious that our elders aren't open to anything to do with marijuana.
I also think it's sad that we have millions of people in our jails and prison systems because of marijuana. There are many more crimes out there that needs our attention. We shouldn't waste the tax payers dollars on something like "weed" when obviously there are much more dangerous drugs and more dangerous criminals that we should be trying tackle.

The bill says nothing about medical marijuana

although this bill does not deal with medical marijuana, its a great step towards eventually ending this failed war on drugs. too many people's lives are ruined by overly harsh drug laws that punish you for life for a non-violent crime where you are only hurting yourself. im talking in terms of personal possession, not mass distribution. more states need to enact decriminalization bills and im glad states here on the eastern side are starting to catch up to the western states in terms of decriminalizing and legalization.

This is a really great step in the right direction. The War on Drugs is as much of a lie as Bush's War in Iraq.

smoke it if you got it baby!

I feel like the only reason people are against marijuana is BECAUSE it is illegal. They don't really look at statistics, trials, facts... just "it must be bad, it's illegal"

Does that make sense?

If you dont know in the 21st Century that Herb=Bob Marley/OneLove well... I hope you just listen to Bob and figure it out sOOn cause its so good for everyting yeahmOn legalizit, tax it, boost our economy, fund art,music,health & science programs with it. When we smoke herb we want to reason with our brothers and sisters not bomb them. Its all good like my good bro says its already legal in my mind so to all herb smokers keep the fires a blazin peace in

Marijuana has such a mark up, do to the risks associated with growing and selling. However, I could be dropped in any city and probably find a dealer in 10 minutes. If the government legalizes it and puts the same similar crazy taxes they do on cigarettes, it might be enough $ to bring the economy up. Just a thought.

The only reason that marijuana is not legal is because we could all grow it in our house.

At this point in time, this bill will not get beyond NH. It's a big step in the right direction, but not while Bush is still at the helm. In the meantime, other states must adopt, ratify and all those tedious, time consuming things, to push this to the Capital. Medicinal marijuana will have to be included. Once there, hopefully, a fresh leader will address it in a positive light of support.

i disagree tiredcoffeedrinker, if we legalized and decriminalized it, the govt could mass produce and distribute seedless varietys that are much more potent and enjoyable to toke.

not only should marijuana be decriminalized, it should be legallized completely, along with everything else, this is not only my opinion but the opinions of countless educated, responsible and successful people. The only thing that would be hurt is the corporations that run this country that actually impede a healthy economical flow.

Agree completely with decriminalization of the hippy hay.Too many harmless citizens taking up space and dollars in our jails.The extra tax revenues could be put to good use. The drug war was over decades ago.It's High Time to get over it!

I recently read that in the US 1 in 100 people are in jail. That puts us at # 1 for most in people in jail. Think of how much of OUR tax money goes into maintaining this. If marijuana was decriminalized the number would go substantially down, and hopefully our tax money could go toward something more progressive.

Go N.H. Yeah it's ok for someone to be on all kinds of prescription drugs that do a whole lot worse things to society but by god off with you're heads if you want to get a natural high from the land. Late Rip

I say if you ban marijuana, you should ban alcohol. And if alcohol isn't banned, marijuana shouldn't be either.

Only problem I see with marijuana is second hand smoke... Which could simply be solved by making marijuana only to be smoked on private land.

Whoa...if we start letting non-violent offenders out of jail, GEO Group, Inc.(formerly Wakenhut), will have to find a new source for legal slaves! Towns like Tulia, Texas will go broke without a prison to keep the local economy afloat. The war on drugs is a great sceme to use the underclass to populate the prisons, stabilize failing agri-towns, enrich a few and sell a bunch of weapons to Columbia...what's the problem? Really, though...the story on hemp goes back a long way...it has beome interleaved with energy, private prisons, cotton, and yes the military industrial type folks...over a million nonviolent offenders in jail....there are just too many folks that believe in some Christian Utopia where anything bad is locked out of sight or blown up...while making money at it, we're proper fucked...Respect to the Christian faith, but you know the politicians are using you for their own evil deeds don't you? Hell,I need a smoke! Happy Easter Sunday all! Praise the Lord and bury the sinners...or at least put them to work for GEO. Legalize pot and ban private prisons!

being a pot smoker I'm all for this Nation Wide.. I've been pulled over had a Quarter just got it actually cops asked If I did any drugs told him yeah smoke pot then he asked if there was any in the truck. I was hasitent at 1st then he asked again then I was like yeah he told me to step out patted me down then searched the truck found the pot ran my info came back clean they made me dump it out in a trash can and let me go. No ticket No fines.

The article says "Currently, possession of this small amount – equal to about seven or eight joints – can result in up to a year in jail or $2,000 fine."

*I would like to make a correction*
you can get way more than 7 or 8 joints out of a quarter.

unless your bob marley

i'll give it 10 years and it's decriminalized across the whole country.

weed us is at it;s highest since the 70's in the UK and US

Definitely legalize it - but i still don't want school bus drivers having the right to smoke up - ever . So far as drug screening for certain jobs - it should be a hiring clause - and no-one should have the right to cry discrimination when any employer refuses them employment because they fail a drug screening - it's the employers whom should be determining who gets hired anyhow , not the gov't .

NH Glaucoma patients rejoice!
Although I'm not supportive of drug use, I have to agree with LAHolly-I'm pretty sure that the government doesn't ban drugs for our health.