Berlin will hold a public hearing January 5 on a proposed ban of synthetic marijuana, sometimes called spice.
Berlin police chief Peter Morency is asking for the ban saying it is important not to wait for a federal ban on the substance.
“The problem with the federal government is we move too slowly,” Morency told the city council earlier this month.
The law would ban the possession or sale of “synthetic cannabinoids” that use any of a wide range of chemicals listed in the six-page ordinance.
Morency said the law would have no effect on medical marijuana.
Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier says he supports the measure.
“There is a problem. There is a problem. It is being retained right in Berlin, right underneath our nose. It is creating problems within families.”
The law is based on those passed recently in Manchester and Laconia.
Littleton's Select Board is expected to discuss putting a ban on the ballot next year as a warrant article, according to Town Manager Fred Moody.
In August – after a series of overdoses around Manchester – Gov. Hassan declared a state of emergency, calling synthetic marijuana a “dangerous substance.”
