MANCHESTER, N.H. – This week, Gubernatorial Candidate Andru Volinsky (D-Concord) held a press conference outside of the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet on Elm Street to provide details on his marijuana legalization plan.
Volinsky went to the Elm Street location to highlight the potential revenues the state could obtain for public education by leasing spaces within New Hampshire and Liquor Wine Outlet Locations.
He also called New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R-Newfields) as the greatest obstacle to marijuana legalization and sees marijuana legalization as a racial justice issue as well as a revenue source.
“Black and Brown young people are often disadvantaged at a much higher rate. That’s number one,” he said. “Number two, New Hampshire has a revenue problem. From the studies we’ve read, we can expect $20-30 million dollars in direct tax revenue, and we can expect additional revenues through licensing wholesalers and retailers. If we’re smart about where the wholesalers locate, they can improve the property tax base in property-poor communities, which we know plays a big role in the school funding problem.”
Volinsky was joined by State Representative candidate Marcus Ponce De Leon (D-Manchester and social justice advocate Erika Perez.
“Families across my district and the Granite State have had their opportunities for economic prosperity limited by the unjust policies imposed on our state, and while steps were taken to decriminalize cannabis in New Hampshire, nothing has been done to address the existing convictions that overwhelmingly targeted black and brown communities; convictions that even to this day hold many members of my district back from being able to pass a background check for higher paying jobs,” Ponce De Leon said. “It’s crucial that we bring an end to this, and work to get previous convictions expunged, and that’s one of the many reasons why I’m voting for Andru, and why we all need to be sure to vote Andru Volinsky in the primary next Tuesday, then get rid of Sununu in November by Voting for Andy on November 3rd.”
More information on Volinsky’s marijuana legalization plan can be found here.
