(Nashua Telegraph) CONCORD – 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.
Time to vote some motherfuckers out, NH. These politicians need to know their constituents and not happy with them, that they’re about to pay a heavy price. Get off your asses, contact your reps, and vote for fuck’s sake.
Lynch is a self serving son of a bitch…a sad day for sick people in NH
What a freakin’ shame. 2 votes.
Don’t give up the fight for those of you in NH. You just need to speak up just a little louder, as I am right here, right now!
[...] New Hampshire Senate fails to override Lynch veto of medical marijuana [...]
I was lucky enough to be able to move to California. I would move back to NH if my medicine was protected. This bill was bad, the most restrictive yet, I think. Cannabis relieves the symptoms from my thrice broken surgically repaired neck, I would use and ounce a week. I can’t afford the cost of this, so I go with out. Doctors call me an addict, I say yes, yes I am..I am addicted to not hurting, thank you very much. So no pain meds either.What are my options..I try to grow to cut costs. That would have been illegal in this bill… We need a sane policy, one that works. Thank You
Use his last name on him and the ten who refused to support the easing of suffering.
That was one fucked-up bill, anyway.
My heart goes out to all the patients trapped in that situation with that miserable excuse for a “Democratic” governor.
It’s a very sad day for NH indeed. I’m continously amazed at how badly people like to impose their moral will on others.