Pubdate: Thu, 25 Jul 2013
Source: Telegraph, The (Nashua, NH)
Copyright: 2013 Telegraph Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.nashuatelegraph.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/885
Author: Joseph G. Cote

Cannabis Care

NEW LAW PROMISES GROWING PAINS FOR AREA POLICE DEPARTMENTS, WHO HAVE 
QUESTIONS OF THEIR OWN

Editor's note: New Hampshire is the 19th state to allow some form of 
medical marijuana. The Telegraph's six-day series, Cannabis Care, 
examines New Hampshire's therapeutic marijuana legislation and how 
the law will work, including who can get the drug, how much it will 
cost, and what needs to happen before the first batch of marijuana is 
legally distributed in the state.

NASHUA - The Legislature took care of Nashua Police Chief John 
Seusing's main angst with the state's medical marijuana bill.

When it included a provision that would have allowed qualified users 
to grow a small amount of the plant at home, policing medical 
marijuana would have been a nightmare. Once it was removed, it became 
- - while maybe not simple - much like a lot of other laws police 
officers enforce every day.

"I think our biggest concern has been alleviated because of that," 
Seusing said. "As long as (medical marijuana users are) within state 
law and abiding by the medical marijuana law, we would not be arresting them."

Police chiefs throughout Greater Nashua said last week that they're 
taking a wait-and-see approach to the law. There have questions about 
how the system will be implemented and are looking to the state 
Attorney General's Office for some guidance.

"This is going to be new to all of us," Seusing said. "It doesn't 
make a lot of sense to me that this is going to become law without 
the dispensaries up and running."

Most chiefs struggled for answers when asked what issues they saw 
their officers confronting once legal marijuana is handed out. It's 
hard to say, since the committee charged with detailing how the law 
will be administered hasn't started its work.

"A lot of these things are going to be on-the-job experience," said 
Hudson Police Chief Jason Lavoie. "There's going to be some growing 
pains with this and some training we'll have to do. I'm just sitting 
back to see what's going to be finalized in Concord and what we'll 
have to try and work with."

Merrimack Police Chief Mark Doyle had a few questions of his own, 
such as where people who legally have the drug can actually use it. 
If it's legal, can they smoke it in the park or other public places? 
What about having kids in the same room?

"It brings up a litany of questions," Doyle said. "We have to take a 
hard look at how this impacts law enforcement agencies and officers 
throughout the state and how we allocate our resources to deal with 
the new issues that come up. One of these days, our officers will be 
confronted with that."

Doyle said some issues already appear to be resolved, like medical 
marijuana users driving while under the influence of the drug. Even 
if a drug is legal, it can be illegal to drive while on it - similar 
to alcohol, some narcotic painkillers or sleeping aids.

"Regardless of whether people are driving under the influence of 
alcohol or marijuana as well as under the influence of Ambien or 
hydrocodone, they're still illegal to drive," he said.

And while medical marijuana will soon be legal in New Hampshire, 
Lavoie said he worries it will lead more people to try harder and 
more dangerous drugs.

"A lot of us, and I'm included, have a belief that marijuana is a 
gateway to a lot more serious drugs," he said. "Marijuana is usually 
a gateway to more serious drugs, and it has that ripple effect that 
affects society."

Doyle said he's unsure whether marijuana used specifically as 
medicine will act as a gateway drug.

"I think the jury is still out on the medical marijuana piece and how 
that plays into those sorts of issues," he said.
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