New Hampshire state Rep. Jared Sullivan (D) of Bethlehem said that the state is closer than ever to legalizing adult-use cannabis after Democrats won control of both the state House and Senate last week, Valley News reports.
Notably, Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte is opposed to legalizing adult-use cannabis or even expanding the medical program — earlier this year, Ayotte vetoed a bill to allow licensed medical cannabis cultivators to use greenhouses.
However, with an incoming Senate majority and a House supermajority, Democrats might manage to convince enough Senate Republicans to cross the aisle and override a veto from the governor’s office.
Sullivan, according to the report, said that his proposal would legalize personal cannabis possession but prohibit its public use. Only licensed dispensaries would be approved to sell cannabis products, with potential allowances for state-run liquor stores.
“My view is that we need to stop arresting people for it. While it’s decriminalized in New Hampshire, people still do get arrested every year for it. Not a ton, and certainly fewer than in the past, but marijuana is genuinely accepted at this point across society, so we shouldn’t continue to arrest people and in the process ruin people’s lives.” — Sullivan, via Valley News
Meanwhile, Ayotte’s unsuccessful Democratic challenger, Cinde Warmington, said during the election this year that she supported legalizing adult-use cannabis.
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