Concord, NH: Members of the New Hampshire Senate voted largely along party lines to defeat House-backed legislation that sought to legalize the possession, home-cultivation, and retail sale of cannabis for adults.
Senators rejected the bill, HB 186, by a vote of 15 to 9. Fifteen of sixteen Senate Republicans voted against the bill, while all eight Senate Democrats voted for it. House members had previously passed the legislation by a vote of 208 to 135.
For several years in a row, lawmakers in the New Hampshire House have passed versions of adult-use legalization bills only to see them defeated by the Senate. New Hampshire is the only northeastern state that has not yet legalized and regulated the adult-use marijuana market.
According to statewide polling data compiled last year, 70 percent of New Hampshire residents “support legalizing marijuana for recreational use.” However, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has repeatedly stated that she opposes any relaxation of the state’s marijuana laws.
Additional information on this and other pending legislation is available from NORML’s Take Action Center.