New Hampshire House approves cannabis legalization bill

The New Hampshire House of Representatives on April 7 approved bipartisan adult-use cannabis legislation. The measure, House Bill 639 by Republican Rep. Jason Osborne and Rep. Matt Wilhelm, his Democratic counterpart, passed the House of Representatives late Thursday by a vote of 272 to 109. The bill, which was initially approved by members of the House of Representatives in February, will now go to the New Hampshire Senate for consideration.

“I’m pleased to see New Hampshire taking a step to free gangsters and thugs from control of this market, keep dangerous, untested products out of consumers’ reach, and protect children from harmful, age-inappropriate products,” Osborne said in a statement following Thursday’s vote.

If passed by the state Senate and signed by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, House Bill 639 would legalize the possession and use of small amounts of cannabis by adults 21 and older. If approved, New Hampshire would join the 21 states that have already legalized recreational marijuana, becoming the last New England state to end cannabis prohibition.

The legislation directs the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, which would be renamed the Liquor and Cannabis Commission, to regulate the commercial cultivation, processing, safety testing and distribution of cannabis. The measure also includes a 15% tax on cannabis cultivation, with most of the proceeds from the tax going towards the New Hampshire State Pension Commitment and Education Fund. Cannabis tax revenues would also be used to fund drug abuse programs and law enforcement training.

Under current New Hampshire law, simple possession of up to ¾ of an ounce of cannabis is a civil offense punishable by a fine of up to $100. Possession of cannabis in quantities greater than ¾ ounce is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $350.

“With the pivotal passage of HB 639, the New Hampshire House has sent a strong message that this is the year adult-use cannabis will be legalized in the Granite State,” Wilhelm said in a statement. “Each year we fail to legalize marijuana, the state wastes precious resources and ruins the lives of many young and poor Granite Staters enforcing a failed ban.”

Previous attempts to legalize cannabis in New Hampshire have failed

Previous attempts to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire were also successful in the House of Representatives but failed to win approval in the state Senate. HB 639 supporters hope this year will be different.

“New Hampshire remains the only New England state that has failed to legalize cannabis, while our neighbors benefit from increased revenue and their cannabis users benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product,” he continued. “Legalizing adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing for New Hampshire, and we need to get it done by 2023.”

While HB 639 passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a large majority, the state Senate is less likely to vote in favor of the bill. However, according to a report by The Center Square, the bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, including Republican Sen. Keith Murphy and Democratic Sen. Becky Whitley and Sen. Donovan Fenton.

“The ban has proven time and time again to be a failure of public policy,” Murphy said in a statement. “It’s especially ineffective when all of our surrounding states have already legalized the possession and use of marijuana. Investigating and prosecuting cannabis possession is a terrible waste of taxpayers’ money. For these reasons, I encourage my Senate peers to support the bill.”

If the proposal is passed by the upper chamber of the state legislature, Sununu has indicated that he will veto the bill if it lands on his desk. Then the legislature would have the opportunity to override the veto.