2024 debate featuring New Hampshire Democratic candidates for governor: Recreational use of marijuana

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CONSULTATION WITH THEIR DOCTORS, TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM STEVE BOTTARI ADAM. THANK YOU CANDIDATES. ALL OF YOU SUPPORT CANNABIS LEGALIZATION HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. MR. KUYPER, TO YOU FIRST. YOU’VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HERE TONIGHT HOW YOU WOULD USE THE TAX REVENUE FOR HOUSING, BUT WHAT WOULD MARIJUANA SALES SPECIFICALLY LOOK LIKE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP? WHAT ARE THE PARAMETERS FOR LEGISLATION THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT? SO I HAVE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CANNABIS DEBATE THAT’S BEEN HAPPENING FOR YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF YEARS. SO I CAME UP WITH A PLAN THAT I THINK WILL PLEASE THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AS WELL AS THE CANNABIS LOBBYISTS. SO MY IDEA IS BASICALLY WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT LICENSES. WE WOULD HAVE A HOME GROW PERMIT WHERE YOU COULD GROW, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SO PLANTS. WE WOULD HAVE A WHAT I’D CALL THE FARMER’S MARKET PERMIT, WHERE YOU COULD GROW, LET’S SAY MAYBE 5 OR 10, MAYBE 20 PLANTS, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND THEN YOU COULD SELL THAT TO YOUR FRIENDS OR AT A FARMER’S MARKET. THEN I WOULD ALLOW THE CURRENT MEDICINAL CANNABIS SHOPS TO BECOME FULLY RECREATIONAL AND FOR PROFIT. THEY’RE CURRENTLY NON PROFIT RUN AS A NONPROFIT AND ALSO I WOULD ALLOW I WOULD HAVE THE STATE BE SELLING LARGER QUANTITIES OF CANNABIS IN A MODEL SIMILAR TO THE LIQUOR COMMISSION, BUT A COMPLETELY SEPARATE ENTITY BECAUSE IT’S STILL FEDERALLY ILLEGAL. AND THIS WOULD BE AIMED AT TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE REVENUE BACK FROM THE FOLKS FROM MASSACHUSETTS, VERMONT AND MAINE, WHERE OUR MONEY HAS BEEN GOING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND HOPEFULLY, IF SOMEONE IS DRIVING UP FROM MASSACHUSETTS, THEY STOP AT THE LIQUOR STORE, THEY BUY SOME LIQUOR, THEY BUY SOME CANNABIS, AND THEY HELP FUND OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THANK YOU, MAYOR CRAIG. WHAT WOULD YOUR PLAN BE AND WHAT SPECIFICALLY WOULD YOU DO WITH THE MONEY GENERATED? YES. SO IT IS TIME TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. ALL OF THE NEIGHBORING STATES AROUND US HAVE AND THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE COULD BE BRINGING INTO OUR STATE TO GO TOWARD PUBLIC EDUCATION, TO GO TOWARD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CRITICAL NEEDS IN THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE MODEL THAT I WOULD BE LOOKING AT IS MORE OF A SMALL BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURIAL MODEL WITH LOCAL CONTROL AND A MODEL THAT REALLY SUPPORTS AND ENCOURAGES LOCAL FARMERS TO PARTICIPATE. SO THE MODEL WOULD REALLY BE BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ECONOMY AND I WOULD WORK WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO GET THIS DONE. I’M NOT GOING TO JUST WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO COME TO MY DESK. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT LEGISLATION THAT NEEDS TO TO PASS, AND I AM COMMITTED TO WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS. COUNCILOR WILMINGTON, YOUR PLAN AND HOW SPECIFICALLY ARE YOU USING THE REVENUE FROM IT? YOU KNOW, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BRING LEGAL, LEGALIZED CANNABIS IN OUR STATE. THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE HAVE SPOKEN ON THIS ISSUE. THEY ARE DRIVING OVER THE BORDERS TO PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT THAT THEY WISH TO USE FOR ADULT USE. THE REVENUE IS GOING TO OUR SURROUNDING STATES. WE REALLY NEED TO GET THIS DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE. I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN IN THE LAST SESSION. I WOULD SUPPORT A MODEL THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER WITH THE LEGISLATURE TO FIND A HYBRID BETWEEN THE FRANCHISE MODEL AND THE MODEL THAT WE, THE FREE MARKET MODEL, WHERE WE CAN HAVE CONTROL TO PROTECT THE ACCESS TO MEDICINAL CANNABIS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A PRODUCT THAT IS IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE AND MAKES SURE THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T ACCESS IT. WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER BY SITTING DOWN AND WORKING TOGETHER IN THE SAME WAY THAT I HAVE AS EXECUTIVE COUNCILOR, REACHING ACROSS THAT TABLE AND GETTING THINGS DONE IN A BIPARTISAN WAY. THIS IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE, AND IT ALSO CAN BRING JOBS TO OUR ECONOMY. THE REVENUE FROM THIS WOULD ESTIMATED TO BE MAYBE 35 TO $50 MILLION NE

“]] Democratic gubernatorial candidates Joyce Craig, Jon Kiper and Cinde Warmington discuss what recreational marijuana sales would look like under their administration, if elected.  Read More