New Hampshire poll shows 74 percent of residents support legalization
Seventy-four percent of New Hampshire survey respondents say they support the legalization of recreational cannabis, and 68 percent support a specific cannabis law that would give the New Hampshire Liquor Commission the task of regulating its sale.
A recent poll was released Feb. 25 by Granite State Poll and published by the University of New Hampshire. Respondents were asked about their current stance on cannabis legalization among topics queried such as congressional elections for new districts, annual auto inspections and the current work performance of Governor Chris Sununu. The results show that more than two-thirds of residents support cannabis legalization bills that are currently being proposed.
Two cannabis-related surveys were presented to the participants. One solicited opinion on a recently introduced cannabis legalization bill, and the other asked what if the person supported or opposed legalization altogether.
House Bill 1598 was recently passed in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on February 16th. In reference to this, respondents to the Granite State Poll were asked if they wanted recreational cannabis legalized and requested that statewide sales regulation be administered by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “More than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents are strongly (47 percent) or somewhat (21 percent) in favor of this bill, 20 percent are somewhat (5 percent) or strongly (15 percent) against it, 11 percent are neutral and two percent are are insecure,” says the survey. In addition, the political party breakdown shows that 79 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of Independents, and 56 percent of Republicans are also in favor of this particular bill.
The legalization poll presented to determine participants’ support or opposition to cannabis legalization also showed strong support. “Support for the legalization of marijuana in general in New Hampshire has increased dramatically over the past decade,” the poll reads. “In 2013, Granite staters were almost evenly split, with 49 percent supporting marijuana legalization and 45 percent opposed. Today, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) support legalizing marijuana, and only 15 percent oppose it.”
Previously, the gap between agree and disagree in poll results wasn’t that big. The first dissenting gap is presented sometime between 2014 and 2015, reflecting 59 percent agreement and 34 percent disagreement. Between 2015 and 2016, the results recovered slightly, with 54 percent agreeing and 37 percent disagreeing. However, subsequent polls in recent years show a significant increase in support and interest in cannabis in New Hampshire.
The data to create this survey was obtained from 1,081 Granite State Panel members who completed the survey online, which consists of a diverse variety of people of different genders, ages, locations, political parties and more. Each person was assigned to answer questions between February 18 and February 22, 2022. In addition, 7,500 New Hampshire residents were contacted using random landline or cell phone numbers.
House Bill 1598 was last debated nearly two weeks ago, resulting in a majority vote of 235-119. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Daryl Abbas, believes the bill is “a compromise between many who prefer recreational cannabis and many who, like me, are traditionally opposed to recreational cannabis. [It] creates a policy like no other state that works for and serves the people of New Hampshire,” Abbas said during the discussion. “The time for talking is over. It’s time we act together and deliver this.” The bill will have its next hearing on March 3 and must pass through the House Finance Committee to reach the Senate for further consideration.
While recreational cannabis is still in the air for New Hampshire, the state’s medicinal cannabis received an upgrade last year in May 2021 when Governor Sununu passed House Bill 89. Effective July 2021, the law allows physicians to authorize patients suffering from moderate or severe insomnia and people with autism to use medicinal cannabis.
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