It appears that the New Hampshire state Senate must once again be the public’s best defense against yet another attempt to legalize a dangerous drug. It is a drug that is getting more dangerous all the time.
If you haven’t yet done so, please read Dr. Joseph Ebner’s piece published Tuesday (and linked here) from our New Hampshire Voices page. Dr. Ebner notes that the drug in question is not your granny’s marijuana.
The pot from the 1970s contained roughly 3% THC, marijuana’s main intoxicating component. That potency, the doctor writes, now averages 23%. But that is just the amount in the plant bud. THC can now be chemically concentrated into products (such as vapes or edibles) that are up to 99% potency.
“Comparing today’s marijuana to that of the past is like comparing Ford’s Model T to a Tesla. Both are automobiles, but other than that, they share very little in common.”
The problem is not just the negative physical health risks (withdrawal, impaired driving, accidental child overdosing, etc.).
“High potency and high frequency marijuana use is also associated with severe impacts on mental health.”
With all that we have been hearing about the state of mental health among the young, adding pot to the mix doesn’t seem the brightest move, especially when one understands that setting a “legal” age for the drug is unlikely to be much of a barrier to teen use.
“The reality is there is no safe way to introduce something that is unsafe,” argues the doctor.
While the pot lobby has plenty of paid proponents, and some politicians think there is easy money to be made by having the state oversee marijuana marketing, New Hampshire will need its state senators to stand firm. Let them know that you have their backs on this one.
The observation has been made before but remains very much true in the case of Howard Brodsky, the new Citizen of the Year as announced by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
With many important topics facing New Hampshire and the nation right now, we will go with the top two: the proposal for an “adult” retreat for those with diaper issues, and the curious case of Taylor Swift and the Super Bowl.
There is much wisdom in the old and simple saying that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Regrettably, some well-intended legislators in Concord this week are moving to “fix” our Right-to-Know Law.
As the dust settles on the 2024 New Hampshire primary, residents of the Granite State find themselves contemplating the future of an event that has long been a cornerstone of American politics, our first-in-the-nation primary. The question at the forefront for many: Does it even have a future?