O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
For the second time in as many years, the New Hampshire State House has passed a bill that would legalize marijuana in the Granite State. A similar bill died last year in the Senate, but New Hampshire lawmakers owe it to the people of our state to make the latest bill into law.
In my work as an organizer and now Digital Director for NextGen New Hampshire, which focuses on young voter turnout, I hear constantly from people on campuses and in communities about the importance of racial justice. Marijuana legalization is a racial justice issue, as the disproportionate incarceration of Black men for drug-related offenses demonstrates. In New Hampshire, Black people are four times more likely than white people to be arrested for possession of marijuana, which is even larger than the national disparity of three times the rate. That disparity is even more dramatic in Cheshire County where a black person is 13 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person.
Existing drug laws and enforcement in New Hampshire are deeply unjust. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds of Granite Staters believe that marijuana should be legalized. The State Senate must recognize the will of the people and send the most recent legislation to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. Sununu must also reverse his belief that marijuana should be kept illegal and sign the bill into law.
It is unacceptable that Granite Staters are led by a governor who stands so clearly against the will of the people. Sununu’s opposition to marijuana reform is part and parcel of a strategy to disenfranchise young people and people of color, which includes his voter suppression laws targeted at New Hampshire college students.
We deserve better than Sununu and his enablers. If you care about making legalization a reality in New Hampshire, it’s time to get off the sidelines and get involved. You can join me by signing up to volunteer with NextGen New Hampshire here.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Send your thoughtful prose on timely topics of interest to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line, The Soapbox.
Ed Taylor is Digital Director for NextGen NH.
