On Thursday, New Hampshire senators rejected several marijuana bills passed by the House. They voted to put on hold proposals to legalize marijuana and allow medical cannabis patients grow plants in their homes.
It’s unlikely that any of these three pieces of legislation will be further discussed by the end session.
Senate Judiciary Committee had previously deemed the measures unlegislable, as it has been largely opposed to drug reform legislation this session.
Wendy Thomas’ (D) HB53, the bill allowing medical marijuana growers to cultivate their own plants, was the most controversial vote. In this proposal, registered medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and state officials could cultivate up to 12 seedlings, three immature cannabis plants, and three mature plants. These patients could possess as much cannabis, up to 8 ounces worth of it.
Plants would be kept in a secure location, out of sight and unauthorized access. Cultivation would need to reported to the government. Renters could also ban the practice.
Daryl Abbas, the Republican senator who moved the bill to be tabled, claimed that this change “would open the floodgates”, by raising the limit on medical marijuana in the state.
He said that the eight-ounce limit applies even if you are not growing. All you need to do is get a card that says you are allowed to grow.
Debra Altschiller, a Democratic Senator, defended the bill by saying it was “a step in the right direction, but still restrictive.”
It only allows [cultivation by] Individuals who have their own properties and are able to store and secure both plants and product,” said she, adding that “all possible growing locations which could be authorised would need to be reported and regulated by the State.”
Altschiller argued the reform would ensure easier access to patients who live far from dispensaries—known in New Hampshire as alternative treatment centers (ATCs)—and allow patients to obtain medicine more affordably.
There are only a few alternative treatment centers operating currently in the state. Access is limited.She said. She said. It’s crucial to acknowledge that cannabis is still prohibitively expensive for chronically-ill patients, particularly since insurance does not cover it.”
Senators were initially split on how to handle HB 53, with a first vote coming up 12–12. After a number of short recesses, however, the body voted 16–8 along party lines to table the bill.
Another measure, tabled on a 15–9 Senate vote, would have broadly legalized marijuana for adults. However, it would not have set up any kind of state regulation or oversight.
Rep. Kevin Verville’s bill (HB 75) would have lifted state sanctions for adult cannabis users over the age of 21. It would, however, not create a licensed market, or any broader regulation, unlike legalization measures taken in other states.
It did not include any limits to marijuana cultivation or possession, nor would it have excluded marijuana from state laws that prohibit illicit drug sales.
Donovan Fenton said, “The bill will allow the State to”Finally, begin to develop a thoughtful regulatory structure that places public safety and economic opportunities first.”
Fenton argued further that the legislation is “lays the groundwork for a responsible, fair cannabis market. It will “help to eliminate racial differences and bring equality into a system that for too long has failed many.”
Thomas also introduced HB51, a bill that was voted on by the Senate Thursday. The measure was designed to lower the cost of medical marijuana products that contain cannabinoids such as CBD. It would allow ATCs the option to purchase non-intoxicating cannabis cannabinoids from the commercial market, and then include them into products following lab testing.
Currently, ATCs have to produce their own cannabis. This is costly given that the state has strict rules about cultivation.
This bill did not apply to THC derived from hemp, but to cannabinoids that are non-intoxicating such as cannabidiol(CBD) or cannabigerol(CBG). This activity was regulated by Health and Human Services.
Senators passed HB51 by voice vote. There was no discussion on the legislation.
Three separate bills were marked by the Senate Judiciary Committee as being inefficient to legislate. They recommended they be dismissed by the entire Senate.
These included separate measures to legalize the simple possession of marijuana by adults, as well as a proposal for increasing medical cannabis possession limitations and a law that allows harm reduction groups to use drug test strips legally to detect contaminants.
The committee also took testimony on three other drug-related bills—including measures that would decriminalize possession of psilocybin, allow greenhouse cultivation by existing medical marijuana businesses and lessen penalties for state-registered patients who illegally sell their marijuana—but did not act on those proposals.
All those bills have already been passed by House lawmakers.
All bills, despite the recommendations of the Senate committee, will still be brought to the Senate Floor, where the entire body can decide whether to take action.
Late last month, meanwhile, Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) reiterated her opposition to legalization in the Granite State.
Ayotte informed reporters that she had been “very clear” on the issue. The people of New Hampshire already know my position on the issue. “I don’t endorse it.”
A former U.S. senator and state attorney general, Ayotte said repeatedly on the campaign trail last year that she would oppose efforts at adult-use legalization.
Last legislative session, New Hampshire lawmakers nearly passed a bill that would have legalized and regulated marijuana for adults—a proposal that then-Gov. Chris Sununu had stated that he supported the bill. This measure was ultimately defeated by a dispute over the way in which it would be run. House Democrats narrowly voted to table it at the last minute, taking issue with the proposal’s state-controlled franchise model, which would have given the state unprecedented sway over retail stores and consumer prices.
A poll from last June found that almost two thirds (65 percent) of New Hampshire residents supported legalizing marijuana. A similar number of New Hampshire residents (61%) also said that time they supported the failed marijuana legalization bill HB 1633.
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Mike Latimer is the photographer.