(The Center Square) — New Hampshire’s GOP-led House of Representatives has voted to legalize cannabis, but the measure must survive the likelihood of a veto by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who is opposed to the move.
The House on Thursday approved the legislation, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess cannabis for recreational use and remove any criminal sanctions for the drug, which remains illegal under federal law. The bipartisan measure, which didn’t include a proposal to allow retail sales and taxation, passed on a voice vote. It is now headed to the Senate for consideration.
The bill’s primary sponsor, state Rep. Jodi Newell, D-Keene, urged fellow lawmakers to legalize the drug. She cited the loss of her husband to heroin addiction and argued that cannabis is a “much safer alternative to the substances that have taken the lives of my loved ones and likely many of yours.”
“I stand asking you once again to pass legislation that would entrust our citizens over the age of 21 with the responsibility to consume cannabis, if they so choose, without fear of retribution from the state,” she said in remarks ahead of the bill’s approval.
Republican lawmakers who voted against it argued that the plan was flawed because it legalized the drug without saying who is authorized to grow or sell it, raising public safety issues.
“If we decide to legalize marijuana, then we should do it correctly, in an orderly way,” state Rep. Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, said in remarks. “Let’s do it smart and do something that takes care of children, has guard rails and protections, not just throw it out there.”
To be sure, this isn’t the first time the 400-member House has approved legislation legalizing marijuana. In 2014, the Democrat-controlled House first approved a legalization bill, but it failed to pass the Senate. Similar proposals have been refiled every session but have failed to gain traction.
Lawmakers approved a bill in 2019 that would have allowed medical pot patients to grow their own supply, but then-Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed it, citing public safety concerns. Last year, the Senate approved a similar plan despite the threat of a Sununu veto. The measure eventually died.
The state has also allowed medical marijuana dispensaries since 2013, but cultivating the drug for personal use is still a felony.
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To date, at least 24 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territory of Guam have legalized recreational cannabis, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thirty-nine states have medical pot programs.
New Hampshire has often been described as a “cannabis island,” with neighboring states and Canada allowing recreational pot cultivation and retail sales.