Colorado and Washington are the two states where marijuana use is legal. If Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, gets his way, New Hampshire would join that elite club.

It’s not going to happen, and it shouldn’t – especially in a state that is above the regional and national rates for drug and alcohol abuse by young adults (see related item).

There is considerable debate over whether legalizing marijuana will dramatically increase usage. Efforts to make comparisons with Prohibition are pointless. There isn’t sufficient data from that era to compile accurate statistics on usage rates. And besides, it wouldn’t be wise to project 21st-century behavior based on societal values of a century ago.

The best way to determine the effects of legal marijuana would be to wait and watch what happens in Colorado and Washington.

If New Hampshire legalizes marijuana it also must regulate marijuana – something it’s in no position to do while it’s still trying to figure out how to regulate medical marijuana use.

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