New Hampshire House of Representatives narrowly approved a Republican-driven bill legalizing personal use and possession of marijuana among adults 21 or over; sales would remain illegal.
House members passed Kevin Verville’s (R) House Bill 75 by voice vote Thursday to remove state penalties associated with using and possessing cannabis, yet do not establish a licensed commercial market or regulatory scheme for cannabis usage or possession.
Rep. Jodi Newell (D), speaking in support of this measure, indicated she represented “an overwhelming majority of Granite Staters who urge this body to end the criminalization of cannabis” so there would be less fear that cannabis might disrupt lives should it prove useful as an aid for sleep, mood enhancement or morning wakeup.
“I implore you to pass legislation which empowers our adult residents over 21 to consume cannabis without fear of reprisals from the state,” she stated.
Newell noted the deaths of her husband from heroin overdose and brother from alcohol poisoning; yet some in society continue to believe our citizens cannot responsibly consume cannabis despite knowing it can’t cause lethality, and knowing its potential as an safer option compared to substances which took my loved ones lives as well as yours.
Minors would remain banned from using cannabis under this bill; anyone under 21 found possessing or using would face criminal prosecution and those under 18 would require screening for substance use disorders. Adults found using it publicly would also face penalties.
Prior to their voice vote on the measure, House lawmakers also defeated an attempt to declare it impracticable or unnecessary to legislate, effectively killing it off by 190 votes to 167. This effort failed.
Rep. Terry Roy (R), in opposing this bill, stressed the need for its implementation properly and orderly.
“Over the past several years we’ve tried out 50 bills. None have gone through, and let me assure you: This one won’t either,” he declared. “Let’s do this right and think smart – something with safeguards and safeguards in place so children are taken care of instead of simply throwing something out there without regard for consequences or safety precautions.
Roy falsely implied that no other state had taken the approach proposed by HB 75. Vermont legalized personal possession prior to creating a regulated market and Virginia still allows only use, possession and limited home cultivation; their governor previously vetoed legislators’ attempts at taxed retail sales (though late last week Virginia’s legislature again approved another legal sales bill; they expect Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) will most likely veto it).
Verville’s legalization bill may make its way through to New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte (R), yet Ayotte has made clear she will veto any proposal of legalizing adult use cannabis. A former U.S. senator and state attorney general, she campaigned against adult-use legalization efforts last year on both campaigns trails and during her presidency of Ayotte University of Law School in Manchester, N.H.
Two other legalization bills have also been proposed in California; both face long odds.
House Bill (HB) 198 from Representative Jared Sullivan (D), would take an unregulated and straightforward approach to personal use and possession by adults 21 or over, whereas another bill from Rep. Sullivan called House Bill 186 would legalize both personal use and provide for state-licensed marijuana businesses.
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee members on Thursday discussed House Bill (HB 186) last month; it has now been put on hold so lawmakers can focus on Rep. Sullivan’s more straightforward legalization bill.
New Hampshire lawmakers nearly passed legislation last session that would have legalized and regulated marijuana for adults–an initiative supported by then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R). Although that Republican-sponsored measure received bipartisan backing in both chambers of legislature, House Democrats narrowly voted it down at the last moment, taking issue with its proposed state-controlled franchise model that would give unprecedented control to state government over retail stores and consumer prices.
An April poll discovered that nearly two thirds (65%) of New Hampshire residents supported legalizing marijuana; nearly the same share (61%) also supported HB 1633 at that time, which failed.
Lawmakers this week considered another bill from Verville which would eliminate criminal penalties for possession, purchase, transport and use of psilocybin by adults 21 or over. A different New Hampshire House committee declined last year to take forward Verville’s bill creating a state-regulated therapeutic psychedelic program similar to what exists for medicinal marijuana use.
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