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  House Overrides, Senate Upholds MMJ Veto 

Posted by CN Staff on October 28, 2009 at 16:33:56 PT
By Kevin Landrigan  
Source: Nashua Telegraph 

Concord, NH -- The State Senate bowed to the will of Gov. John Lynch and blocked New Hampshire from becoming the 14th state to legalize possession of medical marijuana for chronically ill patients and their caregivers.After three months of private lobbying, no minds were changed in the Senate as today’s 14-10 vote to override Lynch’s veto of the bill (HB 648) came up two votes shy of the mandatory, two-thirds majority.
Hollis Democratic Sen. Peggy Gilmour co-founded the state’s first hospice for the terminally ill and pleaded for the bill’s survival."It’s up to 16 of us in this chamber to look at those who are suffering to say, `I understand and I will help,’’ Gilmour said.The leader of NH Coalition for Common Sense, Matt Simon, said he knew a few senators had told constituents they were capable of making the switch to backing the bill."You never give up hope so I’m disappointed. Now I’m not looking forward to making those difficult calls to people depending on the Legislature to relieve their unrelenting pain,’’ Simon said.Earlier today, the New Hampshire House of Representatives had as expected voted to overrode Lynch’s July 9 veto.The 240-115 vote in the House had cleared the two-thirds majority bar needed to advocate a bill become law over a governor’s veto. It marked the first time a legislative body took such a confrontational action since Lynch, a popular, three-term Democrat, first became governor in January 2005.Lancaster Democratic State Rep. Evalyn Merrick said supporters carefully addressed all of Lynch’s concerns that prompted them to rewrite the bill by a conference committee that Nashua Democratic Rep. Cindy Rosenwald had led."Today we make a decision that will affect the quality of life for many of our sickest citizens,’’ Merrick said."We have an opportunity to send a very clear message that we have not forgotten our citizens with long, suffering pain.’’After the Senate setback, Merrick told reporters she will return in 2011 with her bill if she’s re-elected to the House next year.Hudson Republican Rep. Shawn Jasper, a former, volunteer firefighter, said the bill was well-intentioned but would prevent law enforcement employers from discriminating against a public safety worker who used marijuana for pain."Legislation which changes a fundamental concept takes time and if we don’t take the time necessary to do it right we find that we must revisit that issue,’’ Jasper said.Source: Nashua Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH)Author: Kevin Landrigan Published:  Wednesday, October 28, 2009Copyright: 2009 Telegraph Publishing CompanyContact: letters nashuatelegraph.comWebsite: http://www.nashuatelegraph.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/BUg2CUT6CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml

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Comment #20 posted by rchandar on October 30, 2009 at 21:57:53 PT:
FoM
I'd believe it's like any other kind of campaigning. When hundreds of booths opened up and call centers sprung up all over the city for Obama, I was of course very encouraged. The concept is simple enough: we would have to put people down on the ground in these states, communicate with the pols, canvas and advertise, and send our people out onto the streets to spread the idea that this message could work. Not any different from any other part of the country.The Republicans "swift boated" Texas for sure, as she was Democratic for a long time. Re-districting allowed them to capture control in the Congress and gubenatorial seats; but campaigning for MJ would not be different from other forms of politicking. The base is certainly here; there are millions of smokers in our markets. The notion that we "approve" of the current system is imperfect and frequently challenged.  It's the "New South"--the one that took money and technology to have a modern way of life, but clung to many of the old rules about culture and social policy. The procession of taboos remains strong here, but increasingly there is a base from which that could radically change. And for the time being, people could argue that Florida is a "blue" state--Obama certainly won it.--rchandar
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Comment #19 posted by Hope on October 29, 2009 at 10:48:06 PT
Schmeff
(You know, sometimes it's darned hard to "refrain from using profanity in your message"!)It dang sure is. :0)
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Comment #18 posted by schmeff on October 29, 2009 at 10:14:37 PT
Dictatorship
(You know, sometimes it's darned hard to "refrain from using profanity in your message"!)From the get-go, this article attempts to frame this entire issue by telling a lie. Think about it. The State Senate did NOT bow to the will of Gov. Lynch. The State Senate voted and gained a solid majority to override his veto. As did the House.Both houses of the people's elected representatives agreed with clear majorities that NH should become the next in a growing list of MMJ states. But one single individual, the Governor, was able to thwart the will of the people. In the real world we call that a dictatorship.New Hampshire, don't look now, but you've been 'tread on.' 
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 29, 2009 at 08:56:50 PT
Hope
It is so hard for me to understand. Our one friend has always been a right leaning kind of guy. He went on about Pelosi and why she isn't a good person. He said our country will fail if we get a public option for insurance. He said if he was interested more then he is in politics he'd be a Libertarian. I ask him about the abortion issue since many are pro life instead of pro choice and he said that shouldn't be a part of it and I said but it is. He is stuck in a Fox News type of mindset. I think the world of him but I told him we shouldn't talk about politics and I think he agrees.
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Comment #16 posted by Hope on October 29, 2009 at 08:44:51 PT
It's not New Hampshire.. overall.
The reps voted for it. The governor vetoed it. They got the two thirds they needed in the House of Representatives to override that veto. The Senate had a majority that wanted to override the veto. It didn't have the two thirds majority, but it had the majority.And FoM, you can't "make them understand". It's impossible. You can show them the facts, but you can't force anyone to understand anything. You know, like taking a horse to water....
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on October 29, 2009 at 07:59:32 PT
runruff
I know that New Hampshire is more of a right leaning state so maybe that's why.
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Comment #14 posted by runruff on October 29, 2009 at 07:54:06 PT
"Unfortunately he is a Democrat."
I know, that's what puzzels me!
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on October 29, 2009 at 07:06:14 PT
rchandar
I really hope more of the southern states can get on board but I can't figure out how to make them understand. Since I am not part of any organization it will be up to MPP who has money to do it.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 29, 2009 at 05:49:40 PT

runruff
Unfortunately he is a Democrat. I am happy that way more Dems are on our side though. 
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Comment #11 posted by runruff on October 29, 2009 at 04:46:17 PT

Lynch is running for Prez.
He is trying to appeal to the 15-20% Of die-hard Nazi repugs out there. This will win many kudos from the brain dead right!If this is any indication of how he will campaign I'd have to tell him,"Hey Gov, 1988 called they want their politics back!"So, good luck with awllllll that!
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Comment #10 posted by rchandar on October 28, 2009 at 22:12:41 PT:

FoM
cawm' awn', missus F'??? You cain' say dat! Whuh 'bout Miss Hippy??? It sho' done been Republi-kan' 's lawng' us ah've known it?  Missus F'? Dawn' yew kno' Miss-Hippy is de-crim uh' nah' lyzed'? 'dey only give us pawt' heds uh' hunnud' dolla' fayne!!!(I know it sounds improbable, FoM, but that's the direction we's have to take. If we don't go into the lion's den and kill the lion, we'll never really have a safe home at all. For whatever reason, Mississippi remains the only state in the entire South, including Florida, that is decrim.)Now, of course, I've read up on this. It's certainly not anything close to a "pot haven"--most likely, the only places where one could score nugs or even schwag would be the coast (Biloxi) and maybe Oxford (Ole Miss). Webehigh insists the cops are pretty tough out there. Fact remains: under 1 ounce, $100 fine. No jail.Sho' 'Nuff!!!--rchandar
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on October 28, 2009 at 21:19:49 PT

comment 7
That's a kind of a scary song.:0(
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Comment #8 posted by Had Enough on October 28, 2009 at 20:27:22 PT

opps
2011___:)
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Comment #7 posted by Had Enough on October 28, 2009 at 20:24:16 PT

Time has come...Today
As my tears have come and gone...can’t put it off another day...“”After the Senate setback, Merrick told reporters she will return in 2011 with her bill if she’s re-elected to the House next year.20111””Okay...here it is. Time to let the politicians know that being against cannabis is political suicide.Voters of this state...step up to the plate...let them know...Time to support State Rep. Evalyn Merrick...************The Chambers Brothers- Time Has Come Today (vinyl)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms3bYnszDt4

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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 28, 2009 at 18:31:25 PT

rchandar
I don't know if we have ever won a state that was Republican. Maybe one or two but the states that pass MMJ laws are usually Blue states. If a state is almost 50/50 then it might pass. Republican strongholds are hard to crack. Florida went blue this past year didn't it?
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Comment #5 posted by rchandar on October 28, 2009 at 18:20:07 PT:

It Doesn't Matter...
New Hampshire is a very small state. It's better to press for MMJ and MJ reform in big states. FoM has mentioned two--New Jersey and Pennsylvania. If you folks want to be seriously considered for the reform of drug policy, you must put your people down in two very important states--Florida and Texas. MJ reform in these states will tilt the issue decidedly in our favor, and make obvious the cultural changes that must be recognized.--rchandar
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Comment #4 posted by Vincent on October 28, 2009 at 18:12:28 PT:

the veto
Hudson Republican Rep. Shawn Jasper said this bill "would prevent law enforcement employers from discriminating against a public safety worker who used marijuana for pain". Oh, I see now. Rep. Jasper thinks that discrimination is okay.

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Comment #3 posted by HempWorld on October 28, 2009 at 17:41:41 PT

Sinsemilla Jones
That was probably the only time a veto would be a good thing; against a decision made by a select few. In most cases involving a veto, it is applied against the people. One man (or woman), one vote, otherwise we are not speaking of a true democracy.
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Comment #2 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on October 28, 2009 at 17:31:55 PT

The veto power can be a good thing.
If FDR had vetoed the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, perhaps much of this insanity could have been avoided.
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on October 28, 2009 at 16:36:34 PT

Veto
Does not belong in a democracy or a country that calls itself democratic!
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