A New Hampshire House committee plans to move forward with a bill to legalize marijuana–even though members accept that it is unlikely to advance beyond the chamber given opposition in the Senate and the threat of a veto by the governor.
We know the direction it will take. Rep. Jared Sullivan said, “Let us send a positive signal”. This was during a House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee Hearing on Wednesday. They should be those who irritate voters on this issue.
Rep. John Hunt, the chairman of the committee, initially proposed what he described as a “brilliant solution to this problem”. He wanted to examine it, and amend the law to allow only cannabis drinks with up to five milligrams of THC to be sold in the government-run alcohol stores.
He said: “We’d treat it like alcohol when it comes to our regulatory authority. So we wouldn’t give any special privileges to anyone to be able to sell that product on the market.”
According to the chairman, limiting sales of canned drinks could help mitigate the main complaint of opponents about the smell from marijuana flowers.
Is it worth it pursuing this if we know that the Governor will veto whatever we do? He asked.
Sullivan defended his initial bill convincingly, citing that it had been repeatedly approved by the House and that they should continue to do so, forcing Senate and governors to once again state their opposition.
He informed the chairman he was open to discussing the possibility of legalizing THC-infused beverages via a separate legislation and regulating it the same way that hemp has been regulated in some states. He didn’t wish to give up his bill when it was passed by the House.
“I believe we should attempt to legalize this in some similar form as what is in this bill. It’s basically a very similar form of what has already been passed by the House. He said, “And that’s the thing we should do.” The governor, and probably the Senate, will stop this bill. Like, whatever, but that’s on them—and that’s on them to their voters.”
Our job is not to make it easier for the Governor’s campaign. He said that if this issue becomes an important one, then it is not our responsibility.
The chairman also challenged his position, stating that the main reason why cannabis is opposed in the Senate was the smell. Then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) made a surprising reversal on marijuana policy last session, calling for legalization through a controversial state-run sales model, the Senate passed a bill accordingly—and it was rejected by the House because “people were disgusted by the model,” Sullivan said.
The hurdle isn’t the smoking fear. The hurdle is the corrupt model that would have been in place with that system—or what we thought would be corrupt,” he said. If you want to sell things through the liquor commission I believe there are other ways for you to achieve your goals. We shouldn’t dilute the bill that has already passed in the House with very similar language, and continue to send the message that this is the outcome we desire.”
At a later meeting, in the next few weeks, the committee will vote on whether to pass the bill for legalization to the House.
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After the House amended a Senate bill to allow patients with medical marijuana to cultivate cannabis in their own homes, this measure was removed during conference.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) also said last month that her position on marijuana legalization would not change even if the federal government moved forward with rescheduling the plant—a policy change President Donald Trump is actively considering.
Ayotte explained that she would have to obey federal law in the event of a change. But my position is and will remain that marijuana should never be legalized in the future.
Mike Latimer is the photographer.
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