New Hampshire Committee Approves Cannabis Bill

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]N[/dropcap]ew Hampshire is one step closer to cannabis legalization. On Feb. 21, the House’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee passed House Bill 481 in a 10-9 vote.

The bill would legalize up to an ounce of cannabis for adults aged 21 and over, allow adults to possess six plants, and allow up to twelve plants per household, with six mature plants. It would establish a taxation and regulation system and would impose a tax at $30 per ounce of cannabis. No public consumption would be allowed. The bill projects that legalizing cannabis  would bring $20-30 million in revenue for the state.

“We applaud the committee for recognizing that marijuana prohibition is an outdated and increasingly unpopular policy that has failed to accomplish its public health and safety objectives,” Matt Simon, New England political director at the Marijuana Policy Project stated in a press release. “It’s time for New Hampshire to adopt a more sensible system in which cannabis is legal for adults 21 and older and regulated in order to protect consumers and the public.”

“We are very pleased that the committee tasked with overseeing criminal justice and public safety has recommended the passage of this legislation,” he said. “Passage of this bill would be terrible news for illicit drug dealers and good news for proponents of smarter, more effective drug policies.”

Rep. Renny Cushing is the sponsor of the bill and the chairman of the House Criminal Justice committee. “It was a historic vote,” Cushing said in an interview on NHPR. “For the first time in history the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted to recommend that we put an end to the prohibition of cannabis and enact a law to provide for the legalization, regulation and taxation.”

Cannabis policy has faced an uphill battle in New Hampshire, where Gov. Chris Sununu is fighting against what he called “the most significant, substantive change potentially to the negative.” The state is surrounded by other states that have already legalized cannabis. Gov. Sununu promised to veto the bill.