Excluding substance abuse experts from pot board is irresponsible

To The Daily Sun,

N.H. House Bill 481 seeks to commercialize marijuana in the State of New Hampshire. As a certified prevention counselor who oversees the alcohol and drug prevention services in six school districts in New Hampshire, I can tell you that this bill is deeply flawed in two distinct ways.

First, N.H. already has one of the highest substance misuse rates amongst adolescents in the nation and our state has yet to adequately address this problem we already have. HB-481 declares, that if passed, a portion of the proceeds from marijuana sales will go to fund education, treatment, and recovery for substance use disorders. The problem with this proposal, however, is that with no constitutional amendment attached to this bill, legislators can divert these funds for other projects around the state. To me, it is unethical to profit from the sale of a drug without guaranteeing that some of this money will be strictly allocated to those who are struggling with substance use disorders or who are at risk.

HB-481 as it stands now, clearly indicates that those who have ever publicly opposed the legalization of marijuana will not be invited to serve on the N.H. Marijuana Commission. This rule clearly indicates that profits from marijuana sales take precedence over the wellbeing of N.H. citizens. Those working in prevention and treatment are very knowledgeable about emerging trends in substance misuse and the conditions needed to ensure positive public health outcomes. To exclude experts in the field of prevention and treatment from the marijuana commission table is not just a power grab but from a public health view it is grossly irresponsible. On this alone, HB-481 should be strongly opposed.

Kimberly B. Haley

Laconia