New Hampshire House lawmakers have given initial approval to a bill that would legalize marijuana in the state—despite expectations that it’s destined to stall out in the opposite chamber or otherwise get vetoed by the governor.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee voted Tuesday, 10-7 in favor of advancing the proposal by Rep. Jared Sullivan. It was a vote that followed last month’s work session, during which members of the committee discussed cannabis.
The lawmakers acknowledged that while they have passed the same legalization bill in the House, very few expect it to move forward in the Senate if the House passes this new version. Also, there is the governor. Kelly Ayotte is opposed to adult-use.
The committee nevertheless passed the bill, without any further discussion. Sullivan said previously that it was worth the effort to at least force opponents to go on record again with their opposition.
Our job is not to make it easier for the Governor’s campaign. He said that if this issue becomes a problem, then it is not our responsibility.
Sullivan is running for the U.S. Senate and said recently in an interview that if he were elected, he would bring his fight for marijuana reform to Capitol Hill.
“The last poll I saw was in April—70 percent of people, including 55 percent of Republicans, want it legal in the state. He said that we need to stop arresting individuals for such crimes. If we can get this to happen on the federal level, then all these states will fall in line and we’ll stop arresting individuals nationwide for a thing that people want to be legal in our state.
Sullivan stated, “We must stop ruining lives by arresting and charging people with felonies because they possess cannabis.”
The committee has also introduced a different bill earlier in the month to permit medical marijuana dispensaries to become for-profit companies from not-for-profit entities.
Part of the motivation behind the legislation is the fact that medical marijuana dispensaries, called alternative treatment centers (ATCs) under New Hampshire law, don’t qualify for federal non-profit status. In the state they are considered nonprofit organizations which have led to disproportionately higher operating costs.
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New Hampshire legislators are also preparing for an active 2026 session in regards to cannabis and psychoactive substances. They have filed at least 12 requests to legislative staff for draft reform legislation they intend to submit next year.
In a separate case, the House removed provisions that were added to a Senate bill to allow patients with medical marijuana to cultivate cannabis in their homes.
The governor also said in August 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. My position, however, has not changed. I believe that legalizing marijuana is not the right thing to do in the near future.
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