New Hampshire lawmakers introduce legalization bill

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New Hampshire is one of the few states in New England that hasn’t legalized social use cannabis, but a group of lawmakers recently introduced  a bill that would legalize cannabis in the state. It would legalize possession of up to an ounce of cannabis for adults and allow them to grow up to three plants at home. Democratic Representative Tim Egan, a sponsor of the bill, said the revenue from cannabis sales could do a lot of good in the state.

“At the end of the day, if it does become a business — and it should — states like New Hampshire, who have struggled to find revenue for education or mental health care, can say, in our taxation of cannabis, a percentage for that is going to go for these issues,” he said.

Polls find that roughly 75 percent of New Hampshire residents supportlegalizing cannabis. However, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has long opposed legalization. He may have changed his stance on the issue, though.

“One thing I’m really trying to do is look at what has worked and what hasn’t worked. We have been very successful with our doorway system and how we address substance misuse in this state. It’s going really well. Again, we just want to collect the data, understand the pushes and pulls, the pros and cons, and work with the Legislature to hopefully find the best solution,” Sununu said.

Violet Cavendish, communications manager at the Marijuana Policy Project, told Cannabis News Box that certain lawmakers in New Hampshire have been trying to get legalization done for some time.

“Two legalization bills were introduced in the House in 2021, although both have been ‘retained’ by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, effectively delaying a vote until 2022,” Cavendish said. “Additionally, House Minority Leader Renny Cushing (D) has proposed a voter referral to legalize cannabis for adults. It would require 60% of each the House and Senate to place the measure on the ballot, then a full two thirds of voters would have to sign on.”

Cavendish said New Hampshire is behind other states in the region when it comes to this issue, but support for legalization has been growing in the state. She noted that New Hampshire is known for being a state that celebrates individual freedoms, so legalizing cannabis seems like the logical thing for that state to do.

“Now that the ‘Live Free or Die’ state is surrounded by jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for adults, the arguments for maintaining prohibition become weaker each day,” Cavendish said. “While some politicians continue to oppose sensible reforms, public opinion continues to turn strongly against the prohibition of cannabis.”