Just days after the 2022 regular session began, New Hampshire lawmakers in the House of Representatives have voted on a cannabis legalization measure. HB 629 received a vote of 241-113 in favor of passing. Under HB 629, adults 21 and over can possess and give away ¾ of an ounce of cannabis. Additionally, they can cultivate up to six cannabis plants for their own private use, with three plants allowed to be mature. However, there are no sales and taxation measures in this bill. 

Another bill, HB 237, would have legalized sales, possession, and cultivation. However, the Republican controlled House voted down this measure, favoring personal possession instead. HB 629 is a nearly identical bill that passed the House last year, but failed to make it out of a Senate committee before the session ended. 

But with a broader scale bill failing to make it out of the House over a simple possession and cultivation bill, some lawmakers are speaking out. 

Response

Some lawmakers are excited about any cannabis legalization bill moving forward. “This is truly a bipartisan issue with strong and wide support from Granite Staters,” said Representative Mark Warden, R. “The war on cannabis is a war on people. Those people are our neighbors and our constituents.”

Other lawmakers are speaking out against a simple possession bill and not broader legalization.  Representative Daryl Abbas, R, is the chairman of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee. He spoke against HB 629 passing the House.

“In order for us to put forward the best bill possible, we cannot just keep passing all these bills that have inconsistent possession limits,” Representative Abbas said. “It would create confusion amongst the public, and it sends mixed messages, messages on the exact policy you want to put forward.”

Even though legalization is moving forward, there is still much debate happening behind the scenes. Additionally, there is more debate happening within party lines instead of outside, as both Representatives Warden and Abbas identify as Republicans. 

Additional Measures

There are still three ballot measures circulating around the House that could make their way to the general ballot later this year. Each will be debated during this regular session. Should any of them pass with a supermajority of 67 percent from both the Senate and the House, then the measure makes it to the ballot. If a measure makes it to the ballot, then the public must vote in favor of the measure by 60 percent. Only then will a measure become a law.

This is a longer process and one that isn’t guaranteed to appear on the ballot. However, lawmakers are pushing for it. Then voters can have a direct say in the legislative process and vote for the measure they want. Ballot measures would also bypass a potential veto from anti-legalization governor Chris Sununu, R. Though lawmakers remain optimistic about his support for a legalization bill as he expanded medical cannabis just last year. 

Future

With the New Hampshire House on board with cannabis legalization, citizens could see recreational legalization by the end of the year. Questions remain surrounding what Governor Sununu will do and if the ballot measures will make it to voters this November. Only time will tell. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest.

Make sure to check back for more cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic related news.