A New Hampshire legislative panel rejected a bill to legalize recreational cannabis on Wednesday, likely dooming the measure from being passed by the state Senate. Under House Bill 1598, possession of cannabis by adults would be legalized and the state liquor commission would become the sole retailer of legal cannabis.

The bill was passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives earlier this month by a vote of 169-156. But with a unanimous vote on Wednesday, the Senate Ways and Means Committee recommended that the bill be deemed “inexpedient to legislate,” according to a report from the New Hampshire Bulletin. That recommendation is expected to receive a vote by the full Senate in the upcoming weeks.

The bill would permit adults 21 and older to possess up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis, up to five grams of hashish and certain cannabis-infused products containing up to 300 milligrams of THC. The measure allows for the transfer of cannabis products, subject to the same limits, from one adult to another. The bill also permits adults to cultivate up to six cannabis plants at home.

State-Run Cannabis Shops

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission would be given the authority “to regulate and administer the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail sale of cannabis statewide,” according to the text of the bill. Cannabis would be sold at state-run stores, the same way alcohol is marketed in the state. The legislation also gives local governments the power to limit or ban cannabis businesses from locating in the cities and towns they govern.

All senators on the Ways and Means Committee voted to kill the bill, including those who support cannabis policy reform. Democratic Senator Cindy Rosenwald said “I’m overall concerned about the Liquor Commission’s ability to take on another responsibility,” noting that the legislation does not have restorative justice or social equity provisions.

“This bill is not fixable today,” she added.

Democratic state Senator Erin Hennessey said that a state-run monopoly on cannabis retailing would put cultivators at a disadvantage. She also expressed concerns over competition for the state’s existing medicinal cannabis operators and said her constituents were disappointed that the bill does not legalize cannabis edibles.

“I would love to be able to fix this bill, but there’s just too many questions that we’ve received that do not make it fixable for those who would like to see marijuana legalized in the state,” Hennessey said.

Other senators made their opposition to cannabis policy reform clear before the vote Wednesday, which was held on the 4/20 weed high holiday.

“I’m opposed to marijuana,” said Senator Lou D’Allesandro, a Democrat and former teacher. “I’ve dealt with it with students; I’ve dealt with it with constituents. It’s a problem. I think that the situation is quite clear: The availability of marijuana on, let’s call it the black market, is pervasive. It’s everywhere. And we must deal with the ramifications of it.”

“I think this is a poorly drafted bill,” D’Allesandro added. “The ability to actually implement this doesn’t exist.”

Republican state Senator Bob Giuda put his ignorance of the issue on full display by suggesting that cannabis leads to the use of more dangerous drugs, a theory that has been debunked time and time again.

“Why would we want to join the herd of introducing to our culture legalization of a substance that is unquestionably a gateway drug?” Giuda asked his colleagues on the committee.

Devon Chaffee, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, spoke in favor of the bill, although he failed to persuade the lawmakers on the panel.

“I’m not going to sit here and tell you that this is the perfect bill,” Chaffee said, and added, “but what I will tell you is that we are done waiting for the perfect bill on this issue.”

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Seventy-four percent of New Hampshire survey participants share that they support recreational cannabis legalization, and 68 percent approve of a specific cannabis bill that would place the New Hampshire Liquor Commission in charge of regulating sales.

A recent poll was released on February 25 by the Granite State Poll and published by the University of New Hampshire. Among polled topics such as congressional redistricting, yearly car inspections, and the current job performance of Governor Chris Sununu, poll participants were asked their current stance on cannabis legalization. Results reveal that more than two thirds of residents support cannabis legalization bills that are currently being proposed.

Two cannabis-related polls were presented to participants. One explored the opinion of a recently introduced cannabis legalization bill, and the other asked what if the individual approved or opposed legalization overall.

House Bill 1598 was recently approved in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on February 16. Referencing this, Granite State Poll survey asked participants if they want to see recreational cannabis legalization, and require statewide sales regulation to be managed by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “More than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents are strongly (47 percent) or somewhat (21 percent) in support of this bill, 20 percent are somewhat (five percent) or strongly (15 percent) opposed to it, 11 percent are neutral, and two percent are unsure,” the poll states. Furthermore, the political party breakdown shows that 79 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of Independents and 56 percent Republicans are also in favor of this particular bill.

The legalization poll that was presented to determine the participants’ support or opposition of cannabis legalization also revealed strong support. “Support for legalizing marijuana generally in New Hampshire has increased dramatically in the past decade,” the poll stated. “In 2013, Granite Staters were split nearly evenly, with 49 percent in support of legalizing marijuana and 45 percent opposed. Today, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) support legalizing marijuana and only 15 percent are opposed.”

Previously in poll results, the divide between support and opposition was not as wide. The first differing gap is shown as presented sometime between 2014 and 2015, reflecting a 59 percent approval and 34 percent opposition. Between 2015-2016, the results bounced back slightly with 54 percent approval and 37 percent opposition. However, subsequent polls over the last few years show a significant increase in New Hampshire cannabis support and interest.

Data to create this poll was pulled from 1,081 Granite State Panel Members who completed the survey online, which consists of a varied diversity of people of different genders, age ranges, locations political parties and more. Each individual was tasked to answer questions between February 18-22, 2022. Additionally, 7,500 New Hampshire residents who were contacted through randomly-selected landlines or cell phone numbers.

House Bill 1598 was last discussed nearly two weeks ago, which resulted in a floor vote of 235-119. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Daryl Abbas, believes that the bill is “a compromise by many who favor recreational cannabis and many who like me that have traditionally opposed recreational cannabis. [It] creates a policy like no other state that works for and serves the people of New Hampshire,” Abbas said during the floor discussion. “The time for talking is over. It’s time for us together to take action and to deliver this.” The bill will have its next hearing on March 3, and will need to pass through both the House Finance Committee to reach the Senate for further consideration.

While recreational cannabis is still up in the air for New Hampshire, the state’s medical cannabis received an upgrade last year in May 2021 when Governor Sununu passed House Bill 89. Effective as of July 2021, the law allows physicians to authorize patients who suffer from moderate or severe insomnia, as well as those who have autism, to use medical cannabis.

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