This column by New Hampshire House Majority Leader Jason Osborne originally appeared in the New Hampshire Union Leader on April 19, 2023. Read it at unionleader.com.
THE CONSERVATIVE case for marijuana legalization is gaining momentum across the United States. After decades of trying the same tactics without different results, many state leaders have begun to question whether their states are taking the right approach to cannabis policy.
Today, 21 states allow adults to use cannabis, and 38 states have a medical cannabis program. Voters want cannabis reform, and polling shows that 71% of New Hampshire voters from all political perspectives want the legislature to legalize adult-use cannabis now.
Conservative leaders must step up in the Granite State — as they have in many other states and Congress — to ensure any reform reflects the key conservative values of competitive markets, low taxes, fiscal responsibility, protecting families, and empowering law enforcement. Reform is coming, and it is vital that conservatives ensure that it does not become another progressive wish list.
Conservatives are leading the way in other states and Congress on cannabis reform. Republican members of Congress like Nancy Mace, David Joyce, Brian Mast, and Greg Steube have all become vocal champions of the need for federal cannabis reform to restore states’ rights. They have fought back against progressives who want to force cannabis legalization on all states and instead are proposing policy solutions that would get the federal government out of the way.
Republicans are leading the conversations about the need for cannabis reform in Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, and Missouri because they know that something needs to change, and there is a way to establish a competitive market that protects children, improves public safety, and ensures innovative medical treatments for veterans and other medical patients.
An ever-growing list of conservative organizations like Americans for Tax Reform, Concerned Veterans for America, End it for Good, R Street Institute, Tax Foundation, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance are stepping up to call for or support cannabis reform.
So why are conservatives leading on cannabis reform? There are several reasons, all of them rooted in conservative values.
First and foremost, most conservatives are not pro-cannabis, but instead are anti-prohibition. They view cannabis prohibition as yet another failed big government program that is wasting taxpayer money. For example, it is estimated that New Hampshire spends up to $65.2 million in taxpayer money each year to enforce cannabis prohibition, but trends in marijuana use and the black market have not been impacted at all.
Conservatives believe that government resources could be better spent on programs that actually work, such as solving and preventing property crimes and violence.
Second, conservatives want to better support law enforcement by allowing them to focus on their core mission — solving and preventing property and violent crime. Police now arrest someone as a suspect in a historically low percentage of violent (41.2%) and property (13.7%) crimes. This is leaving too many victims without justice and jeopardizing public safety. By legalizing cannabis, police resources can be freed up to address more pressing public safety issues.
Third, conservatives want to ensure that veterans and other medical patients can access innovative medical treatments that might be the only or a better substitute for current treatments such as opioids or other medications with serious side effects. Cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, PTSD, and anxiety. By legalizing cannabis, patients can access these treatments without fear of legal repercussions.
Fourth, conservatives believe that proper oversight and regulation can more effectively keep cannabis out of the hands of children and ensure safer products for adults who are going to use the substance anyway. Recent data shows that cannabis use among teens has declined to its lowest point in decades even though more states are allowing it to be used for medical and even recreational purposes. By regulating cannabis, the government can ensure that it is only available to adults and that it is not sold or marketed to children. Additionally, proper regulation can ensure that cannabis products are accurately labeled with their potency and ingredients, which can reduce the risk of accidental overconsumption or negative interactions with other medications.
Ultimately, conservatives believe that regulation can strike a better balance between individual freedom and public safety when it comes to cannabis.
Originally published in the New Hampshire Union Leader.
