The battle for the expanded legalization of marijuana continues in New Hampshire, as state legislators continue to debate over possible law changes. The state House of Representatives recently passed a bill expanding on the accessibility of recreational marijuana. The bill faces an uncertain future in the state Senate.
The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic of discussion in New Hampshire politics for years. Despite marijuana being illegal at the federal level, several states have passed legislation to legalize the drug moth medically and recreationally. 24 states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, including the neighboring states of Maine and Massachusetts. New Hampshire state law legalized, but restricts, the use of medicinal marijuana. However, the recreational use of marijuana has been decriminalized, but remains illegal.
The State House of Representatives recently passed two bills. One bill, House Bill 1278, added to the list of conditions that would qualify for medicinal marijuana to be prescribed by a medical professional. In a separate House vote, legislators passed House Bill 1349, which granted individuals with generalized anxiety disorders to have access to the therapeutic cannabis program. Both bills still require a registered medical professional to prescribe medicinal marijuana.
The state House also passed two additional bills, which expanded the regulation or marijuana prescription and production. Bill 1350 allows patients to be prescribed four ounces of marijuana at a time compared to two. Additionally, House Bill 1581 allows for state operated alternative treatment centers to create greenhouses with the intent of growing marijuana. These greenhouses would be operated and regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services.
This is an issue where college students have shown an invested interest. Senior History major Nathanial Crane said, “I think it’s a good idea for these bills to be passed. If New Hampshire wants to be the live free or die state that should include the freedom to smoke marijuana.” “It will also make marijuana consumption safer as well,” Crane added.
These passages come after a broader bill was presented to the House by the House Finance Committee, which called for the legalization of marijuana for all residents over 21 years of age. The bill also allowed for the creation of state-operated marijuana dispensaries, similar to the state-operated Liquors and Wine Outlets. The bill continues to undergo fine tuning and tinkering to make it more passable in the Republican-controlled legislative chambers. Debates and hearings are underway within the state legislature regarding these potential changes.
Crafters of the bill remain at odds with Republican Governor Chris Sununu and other GOP legislators regarding the commercial sale of cannabis. “I know you all were aware of a lot of back-and-forth and suggestions that we accept some language that was suggested to us by a member of the Senate, but we did stick with the House version,” said state Democratic Representative Peter Leishman.
Republican Senator Daryl Abbas gave a contrasting opinion, saying, “If the changes they made were very minimal, property tax relief being taken out, I don’t believe it has a chance at all. It seems to be dead on arrival.”