New Hampshire Medical-Marijuana Bill Vetoed

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch vetoed a medical-marijuana bill passed by the state legislature, which in turn promised an override attempt, the Concord Monitor reported July 11.

Lynch said the legislation was seriously flawed but also stated in his veto message that he was open to a revised version that would allow medical use of the drug with tighter controls over cultivation and distribution.

The legislation vetoed by Lynch already had been amended to address some of the governor’s concerns, including deletion of a provision that would have allowed patients to grow marijuana at home. Lynch said the revised bill failed to ensure stringent oversight of volunteers working at so-called “compassion centers” which would distribute the drug to qualified patients.

Bill supporters slammed Lynch for vetoing the measure, saying it would have been the strictest of the 13 medical-marijuana laws now in effect in states across the country. “This is clearly a politically directed decision, based on misinformation and lies,” said Rep. Evalyn Merrick, the bill sponsor. “It appears the governor may not have thoroughly read the bill in its entirety.”

The state House passed the measure by a wide margin, but the vote was just 14-10 in the Senate, making a veto override bid difficult.