The Republican governor of New Hampshire is defending his support for legalizing marijuana through a state-run model. While he usually prefers to let private businesses run markets rather than grow the size of the government, he believes that in this case it’s more appropriate to put the state in charge “because of the risks involved” with cannabis.
Gov. Chris Sununu (R) was pressed on his position by cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy on Wednesday ahead of the New Hampshire primary election, stating that while he’s “usually not there” on embracing state control, he feels cannabis can be more effectively regulated with government-operated shops, rather than private businesses.
With the state-run model, Sununu said officials could mitigate risks associated with “locations, marketing and influence on children,” according to audio of the exchange that Murphy shared exclusively with Marijuana Moment.
“I believe that we have a model that allows it to be available, allows the market for adults who want it and keeps it out of the hands of kids better than anyone,” the governor said, adding that he believes neighboring Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont have “awful systems” for marijuana sales.
“You have these marijuana miles. You have pot shops on every corner.
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