New Hampshire House Approves Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

The New Hampshire House on Thursday passed an adult-use legalization bill by a 272-109 vote, The Center Square reports. The measure moves next to the state Senate. 

New Hampshire is the lone New England state to not allow cannabis sales to adults.  

In a statement, Republican Rep. Jason Obsorne, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said he is “pleased to see New Hampshire take a step toward relieving gangsters and thugs from control of this market” and keep “dangerous untested products away from consumers, and protecting children from harmful age-inappropriate products.” 

Democratic Rep. Matt Wilhelm, who also co-sponsored the bill, described the bill’s passage as “decisive” and sending a “strong message that this is the year to legalize adult-use cannabis in the Granite State.”  

“Every year we fail to legalize marijuana, the state wastes valuable resources and ruins the lives of many young and poor Granite Staters by enforcing failed prohibition. New Hampshire remains the only state in New England that has failed to legalize cannabis, while our neighbors benefit from increased revenue and their cannabis users benefit from safer testing and regulation of the product. Legalization of adult possession of small amounts of cannabis is the right thing to do for New Hampshire and we must get it done in 2023.” — Wilhelm, in a statement, via The Center Square 

In January, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) told New Hampshire Public Radio that he didn’t expect a cannabis legalization bill to make it to his desk this session. Sununu opposed the reforms. The state Senate has never passed an adult-use legalization bill but the House has passed the reforms on two previous occasions.