New Hampshire’s Governor recently issued a statement outlining what kind of cannabis legalization would get his support while state senators voted to stop a bill that advocates hoped would move forward. Senators voted 10 in support and 14 in opposition to HB639. Some senators spoke out against the bill by pointing to the harms of marijuana and commitment to protect children from drugs. Cannabis advocates have tried to convince lawmakers to support cannabis legalization for years but it’s clear that Senate will not budge on this issue.
In a statement Governor Sununu supported the decision of the Senate by saying that the bill, “was not the right path” for the state. As the only state in New England that hasn’t legalized cannabis for adults Sununu did concede that it would be “shortsighted and harmful” to ignore the reality that a majority of New Hampshire residents do want to see cannabis legalized. To give advocates and lawmakers an idea of cannabis policy that he would support Sununu outlined his support for regulating the cannabis industry the same way the state regulates alcohol, by establishing state-run stores.
Find the full story from New Hampshire Public Radio on their website here: https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2023-05-11/state-senate-kills-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-in-new-hampshire
Read Governor Sununu’s statement in support of a state-run cannabis legalization model: https://www.governor.nh.gov/news-and-media/governor-chris-sununu-statement-marijuana-legalization
