New Hampshire House Committee Approves Recreational Cannabis Bill

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]N[/dropcap]ew Hampshire officials approved a bill in a House committee on Jan. 28 cannabis for adult use.

Marijuana Moment explains that although the bill wouldn’t allow recreational sales, it would allow people who are 21 years old and over to grow, possess and gift cannabis. This would be similar to the cannabis system in Vermont. “I think that the legalization of cannabis is more popular than the legislature itself or the governor or any other political entity in the state of New Hampshire,” Chairman Renny Cushing said before the vote took place. “This is something that the people of the state of New Hampshire want. They don’t want to be treated like they’re criminals if they have a plant.” The bill was advanced by the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee by a vote of 13-7.

Additionally, “Like most Granite Staters, this committee understands that it’s time for New Hampshire to stop prohibiting cannabis,” explained Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Adults in the ‘Live Free or Die’ state should not be punished for their choice to use a substance that is objectively less harmful than alcohol. Now that New Hampshire is literally surrounded by jurisdictions where cannabis is legal for adults, our current policies can no longer be justified in any way. It’s time for the House, Senate and Gov. Chris Sununu to work together and move cannabis policies into the 21st century.”

The House is set to vote on the measure on Thursday, Feb. 6. However, there is still no guarantee it will make it to the governor’s desk, or if it does, if the governor will sign. Recently, New Hampshire has expanded its medical cannabis program, and it also implemented lock boxes for parents to keep  medical cannabis away from children. This type of responsible attitude makes a good case for legalizing cannabis in the state.