The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 239–136 last week in favor of legalizing adult-use cannabis. The proposal moves next to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain. It is the third year in a row that House lawmakers have advanced cannabis legalization reforms but the Senate has never voted in kind.
Gov. Chris Sununu (R) — who also opposed the state’s previous legalization bids — said following the bill’s passage that he would not support the proposal in its current form but that he could still be convinced if the right changes are made in the Senate, Marijuana Moment reports.
Specifically, the governor seeks a state-run or state-franchised dispensary model. The recently passed proposal only includes state-licensed agencies, and the government would not control the state’s appearance or operation.
“Governor Sununu has been crystal clear about the framework needed for a legalization bill to earn his support, focusing on harm reduction and keeping it out of kids’ hands. The legislation passed today doesn’t get us there but the Governor looks forward to working with the Senate to see if we can get it done.” — Gov. Sununu, in the report
Lawmakers reportedly made efforts to satisfy the governor’s requests this year, working to adopt a state-run dispensary model. Last year, the governor named two more non-negotiables for securing his support for any legalization reforms: a 15-store cap statewide, and a ban on lobbying and political contributions by cannabis licensees.
New Hampshire is the only state in New England that has not yet adopted cannabis legalization reforms.
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