Under the 2013 New Hampshire law that was finally implemented this year, it’s likely that Sevigny and Cardinale would be eligible to use medicinal marijuana, which they preferred as a benign alternative to prescription painkillers. But getting a medical marijuana license can be a lengthy process. Cardinale’s situation was further complicated because he receives his health care at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction. Since federal law still doesn’t allow for the medical use of marijuana, his VA physician couldn’t prescribe it.

…Twomey contacted Lebanon prosecutor Ben LeDuc, who was willing to reduce the charges to a violation. Cardinale and Sevigny would still have to each pay a $500 fine, but they’d avoid a criminal record.

 

…It was probably the best that Sevigny and Cardinale could have hoped for. As long as Lebanon cops continue their war on drugs, LeDuc is in a tough spot. He’s a one-man prosecutor’s office, with more than 1,000 cases (not all drug-related) a year coming across his desk. He doesn’t have a lot of time to exercise discretion.

After taking the job last year, LeDuc made it his policy to offer first-time offenders the same deal that he gave Cardinale and Sevigny.

 

…In the upcoming months, Twomey will help draft proposed legislation to revise the state’s marijuana laws, which has become something of an annual exercise that dies in the state Senate. 

Kenyon: Lebanon Pot Policy a Bust

hmmm