Cannabis advocate seeks to grow business support for legalization

ADAM: WELCOME BACK. EFFORTS TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS HAVE BEEN STUCK. THE HOUSE NOW REGULARLY BACKS BY PERSON VOTES ARE DESCENDANT HAS NOT BEEN AS OPEN. GOVERNOR SUNUNU HAS BEEN A SKEPTIC ON THE ISSUE. NOW THERE SOMEONE WORKING ON THE ISSUE. FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE TIMOTHY EGAN, THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE CANNABIS COMMISSION. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. TIMOTHY: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. ADAM: WE HEAR TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE IS BEHIND AND NOT LIVING UP TO ITS MOTTO. WHAT IS THE HANGUP? TIMOTHY: HANGUP IS I THINK WHAT WE KNOW CANNABIS SUPPORTERS ARE OUT, I DON’T THINK THE INDUSTRIES IN THE STATE HAVE LEARNED THE VALUE COULD BE AND THEY NEED TO BE MORE VOCAL. WHO IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR FINANCE COMPANIES AND INSURANCE COMPANIES AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES AND INSURANCE COMPANIES AND I.T. COMPANIES WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE ROLLOUT OF CANNABIS FACILITIES, DISPENSARIES, MANUFACTURING PLANTS? THOSE ARE BUSINESSES THAT WOULD GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE STATE, GENERATE JOBS, CAREER PATHS. I THINK THAT IS AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS NOT BEEN EDUCATED AND HAS NOT BEEN VOCAL. WHEN LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNORS BEGIN TO HEAR THOSE FOLKS WITHIN THE USABLE — USUAL PRO CANNABIS PEOPLE, AND THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE MAKING THE WIDE VARIETY OF 80% OF PEOPLE SAYING THEY ARE FOR IT COME THAT WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. ADAM: YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC SUPPORT. HOW DO YOU WIN? TIMOTHY: I LEARNED A LOT IN FOUR YEARS. AND I MAY BE BACK. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO USE THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT EXPLAINING TO LEGISLATORS HOW THIS IS GOING TO HELP THEIR CONSTITUENCY IN THIS BILL, A BILL I CREATED. I WAS VERY HAPPY THAT MAJORITY LEADERSHIP ON BOTH PARTIES, AT WILLEM, JASON OSBORNE, DECIDED THE BILL WAS WORTHY TO BRING FORWARD THE AND IT IS A MAJORITY OF THE REVENUE WOULD GO TOWARDS UNMET PENSION LIABILITIES THE STATE HAS. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO TELL LEGISLATORS THEY CAN GIVE TAX REVENUE BACK TO COMMUNITIES AND THAT THEY COULD HELP LOWER PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE TOWNS ARE PAYING THE UNMET PENSION LIABILITIES, AND WE SHOULD BE PAYING THEM FOR FIREMEN AND POLICEMEN AND TEACHERS, AND WHEN THAT WAS CUT, IT HAS NEVER RETURNED AND TOWNS HAVE BEEN HURTING. IF WE ARE FIGURING OUT HOW TO REVENUE, NEW TAXES, REVENUE, STUFF THAT HAS NOT BEEN A PROPHET BEFORE, IF YOU CAN ARM LEGISLATORS WITH, I CAN BRING REVENUE BACK TO MY TOWNS AND HELP THEM WITH PROPERTY TAX ISSUES, THEN THEY BEGIN TO REALIZE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IS ECONOMICALLY SOUND. ADAM: HOW MUCH REVENUE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, ESPECIALLY SINCE ALL THESE OTHER STATES AND CANADA HAVE DONE IT. TIMOTHY: IT PROBABLY WON’T BE THAT HIGH BUT THERE ARE THREE REVENUES WE COULD SEE. SO YOU COULD GET UP TO 20 MILLION DOLLARS TO $30 MILLION IF 10% OF THE REVENUE IS PEOPLE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE DRIVING TO VERMONT, THAN IT IS PROBABLY DOUBLE THAT OF PEOPLE DRIVING THEM NEW HAMPSHIRE TO MAINE AND PROBABLY TRIPLE THAT IN A LARGER POPULATION OF THE STATE DRIVING INTO MASSACHUSETTS. SO COULD WE SEE THE RETURN OF REVENUE LEAVING THE STATE? OUR OWN RESIDENTS ARE SPENDING MONEY IN THREE OTHER STATES AND THEY DON’T NEED TO COULD THAT BE $20 MILLION? THEN ADD THAT WE LOVE TO TOUT OUR SECOND MOST POPULAR INDUSTRY IS TOURISM. I WON’T EVEN SAY IT IS A PRESUMPTION ANYMORE. I USED TO SAY YOU COULD PRESUME THAT FOLKS LIKE TO SKI AND SNOWBOARD AND MOUNTAIN BIKE AND HIKE ARE INTERESTED IN CANNABIS WHEN THAN ALCOHOL. I THINK IT HAS ACTUALLY PROVEN THAT PEARDON NUMBER ONE CUSTOMER BASE FOR CANNABIS IS AGE 60 AND ABOVE. SO THAT IS A TOURISM TOOL THAT COULD ADD REVENUE TO OUR STATE. THIRD, THIS LOCALIZED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WHEN YOU HAVE A GROW FACILITY, YOU ARE HIRING SOIL TESTERS, SCIENTISTS, LAB TECHNICIANS, BUYING MEANT, — EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING OUT FACILITIES. SO IF WE WERE BUILDING A REVENUE — BUILDING A PLANT, THOSE REVENUES ARE UNIQUE BECAUSE NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH ITS TOURISM TOEHOLD IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER STATES. ADAM: YOU HAVE HAD A LOT OF TURNOVER IN THE SENATE. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GAINED SOME VOTES. DO YOU THINK THE SENATE PASSES LEGALIZATION THIS YEAR? TIMOTHY: I HOPE THE SENATE PASSES LEGALIZATION. I HOPE THAT THE 12 OR 13 SENATORS THAT HAVE BEEN PRO AND A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE FENCE, ON BOTH SIDES, WHO HAVE BEEN A CASUAL NO WILL NOW SEE THAT THERE IS ONE THAN JUST REVENUE. WHEN WE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT TESTING, THE CANNABINOID PRODUCT HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL. WE HAVE DONE NO NIH TESTING OR TESTING FOR UNDER THE INFLUENCE. WE RESEARCHED THE HECK OUT OF OTHER PLANTS TO CREATE PRODUCTS HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, WHAT WE HAVEN’T DONE IT WITH THE CANNABIS PLANT AND IT HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR HEALTH CARE, ANXIETY, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, WHICH IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN THE STATE. MAYBE I WILL COME TO THE GOVERNOR WHEN HE SAYS WE CAN’T FOCUS ON CANNABIS BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OPEN GOOD PROBLEM. MOST RESEARCH SAYS CANNABIS IS AN ANTIDOTE FOR PAIN RELIEF FOR OPIOIDS. WHY WOULD BE OFFERING THAT S EXPANDING THE MEDICINAL SIDE? LET IT PLAY IN THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE NUMBER ONE FASTEST GROWING SALES PRODUCTS IN MASSACHUSETTS WAS CANNABIS. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IT WAS ALCOHOL. LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT COME FROM MAYBE THE OVERINDULGENCE OF EACH. ALCOHOL, THE RESEARCH IS MUCH WORSE. A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT HOW I WOULD CONVINCE SENATORS IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT A 2019 STUDY LOOKED AT UNDER THE INFLUENCE PERFORMANCE. NO ONE SHOULD EVER DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANYTHING, BUT PEOPLE WHO DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CANNABIS DRIVE SLOWER AND TAKE LESS CHANCES AND LEAVE MORE SPACE BETWEEN CARS. PEOPLE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL DRIVE FASTER, TAKE MORE CHANCES AND LEAVE LESS SPACE BETWEEN CARS. WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO TELL SENATORS WHAT THIS IS WORTH, IT IS NOT JUST ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, IT IS A WAY THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO EMBRACE SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND IS MATURE ENOUGH. IT IS 2023 AND WE ARE MATURE ENOUGH NOW TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER I CAN ENJOY A GLASS OF WINE, BEER, OR A JOINT. ADAM: THINK IT WAS YOUR — THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON “CLOSE UP. TIMOTHY: THANK YOU. I’M ALWAYS WILLING T

CloseUp: Hashish advocate seeks to develop enterprise help for legalization

Up to date: 10:53 AM EST Jan 1, 2023

Efforts to legalize hashish in New Hampshire have been caught for some time now.

Efforts to legalize hashish in New Hampshire have been caught for some time now.