Marijuana: New Hampshire governor vetoes medical marijuana bill

Marijuana Policy Project Alert

July 10, 2009

Dear omss news:

Today, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) vetoed the medical marijuana bill that the state legislature passed last month.

We now need the state legislature to vote to overturn the governor's veto — just like Rhode Island did last month, when it overrode its governor's veto to make medical marijuana compassion centers law.

If two-thirds of the members in the House and two-thirds of the members in the Senate vote in favor of the bill, New Hampshire will become the 14th state to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail. The decision of whether to protect patients now rests squarely in the hands of the legislature.

Would you help us overcome the veto? The House already passed the bill once, in a 232-108 vote, and the Senate passed it in a 14-10 vote. We need a total of 267 votes in the House and 16 in the Senate.

MPP's campaign to protect New Hampshire's medical marijuana patients from arrest has already overcome significant obstacles, including strong opposition from the state's attorney general and chiefs of police. Yet despite support from the legislature and our widespread radio ads and TV ads of patients pleading for protection, Gov. Lynch still chose to deny patients relief today — so we need your help to finish the fight.

The bill would protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail, as well as allow up to three nonprofit compassion centers to cultivate and dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients who have a doctor's recommendation.

The legislature won't consider veto overrides until September, so we have time to educate legislators about how important this issue is to patients and to their constituents. Would you please help fund this work?

Thank you,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

P.S. As I've mentioned in previous alerts, a major philanthropist has committed to match the first $2.35 million that MPP can raise from the rest of the planet in 2009. This means that your donation today will be doubled.

P.P.S. You can opt out of receiving fundraising mentions in the e-mail alerts I send you in 2009 by visiting http://www.mpp.org/2009optoutpreference at your convenience.

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