New Hampshire House lawmakers have three adult-use cannabis legalization bills on the table, but they decided to approve the least permissive one on Feb. 20.
The Granite State’s upper chamber approved House Bill 75 on a voice vote Thursday. Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Verville, R-Deerfield, the legislation aims to legalize cannabis for those 21 years and older but would not establish a licensed market for commercial cultivation and dispensary sales, nor does it include language permitting home grows.
The bill’s passage comes as New Hampshire remains the lone state in New England absent of an adult-use cannabis program and as another bill, H.B. 186, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jared Sullivan, would establish a regulated and taxed system. Sullivan also sponsors alternative legislation, H.B. 198, that would allow for home grows but not a commercial marketplace. Both proposals remain in the committee process.
Rep. Jodi Newell, D-Cheshire, spoke in support of H.B. 75 during Thursday’s floor session.
“We trust our citizens over the age of 21 to consume alcohol responsibly, and rightly so, but somehow, we still maintain that our citizens cannot be trusted to consume cannabis responsibly, even as we know that it is virtually impossible to consume a lethal amount,” she said. “And even as we know that cannabis is a much safer alternative to the substances that have taken the lives of my loved ones and likely many of yours.”
Rep. Terry, Roy, R-Rockingham, opposed the legislation before Thursday’s voice vote.
“If we decide to legalize marijuana, then we should do it correctly in an orderly way,” he said. “I know we’ve tried, and it’s 50 different bills over the last few years. Nothing seems to go through and let me tell you, this one ain’t going to go through either. We know it’s not going to get all the way through. So, let’s do it smart and do something that takes care of children and has guardrails and protections—not just throw it out there. If we’re going to do it, do it right. No state that has done it so far has just thrown it open and said, ‘Here you go.’”
Despite Roy’s claim, Virginia lawmakers legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021 without providing for a commercial marketplace. In fact, the state’s Democratic-controlled General Assembly sent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin legislation earlier this month that intends to establish a commercialized marketplace.
In New Hampshire, House and Senate lawmakers passed an adult-use legalization bill last year and were on the verge of becoming the 25th state in the nation to allow those 21 years and older to access cannabis; however, the two chambers differed over Senate amendments and couldn’t resolve their differences in a conference committee.
One major hurdle in 2024 involved the upper chamber’s inclusion of a state-run “franchise model” for dispensaries.
Should the two chambers agree on H.B. 75 this session, the legislation would face a potential veto from Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s pen. Ayotte, who took executive office in January, said along her campaign trail that she opposed adult-use cannabis reform.
“One of the deep concerns I have about legalizing marijuana is the impact that marijuana has on youth mental health,” Ayotte said during a gubernatorial debate on New Hampshire Public Radio in October. “Also, I’m concerned about our quality of life when it comes to issues like road safety.”
The legislation would legalize cannabis use and possession for those 21 years and older but omits a marketplace for cultivation and dispensary sales. Read More
