Lawmakers in the New Hampshire House of Representatives have passed a proposal to legalize cannabis for adults, Forbes reports.
Sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Verville (R), the proposal would legalize the personal possession and consumption of cannabis by adults who are at least 21 years old. The proposal does not seek to legalize the commercial cultivation and distribution of cannabis products and public cannabis consumption would remain illegal, as would the use of cannabis by minors.
Lawmakers passed the bill in a voice vote on Thursday.
State Rep. Jodi Newell (D) said the measure would likely be supported by “the overwhelming majority of Granite Staters who implore this body to end the criminalization of cannabis, to end the fear of unnecessary disruption to people’s lives if they find cannabis to be their nighttime sleep aid, their mood enhancer or their morning pick-me-up.”
The bill, however, is expected to face opposition during its next steps, including from New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R), who has stated she does not support legalizing adult-use cannabis, signaling she would likely veto such a proposal if one were to reach her desk.
The New Hampshire House and Senate have each previously passed cannabis legalization proposals but the bodies were never able to reconcile under a single proposal — and even if they had, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) promised to veto any legalization proposals that didn’t include a state-operated distribution system.
Polling data in New Hampshire suggests that cannabis legalization is popular among voters: a poll last June found that 65% of state residents either “strongly” or “somewhat” support the issue.
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