New Hampshire Senate Rejects Two House-Passed Bills To Legalize Cannabis

New Hampshire lawmakers have struck down two House-passed bills that would have legalized marijuana on Thursday, reported Marijuana Moment.

Senate members rejected the noncommercial legislation from Rep. Carol McGuire (R) in a 9-15 vote following a heated discussion on an amendment that would have removed the home-grow option and added a per se THC limit for impaired driving.

McGuire’s bill, which was poised to legalize marijuana possession and cultivation for adults, got a green light from a Senate committee two weeks ago.

While senators such as Becky Whitley (D) urged for the passage of the legalization, deeming it as an “appropriate and necessary step for us to take as the state,” other members of the chambers called it “inexpedient to legislate” in a follow-up vote.

“This bill will bring us somewhat more in line with our neighbors and with a more modern understanding of cannabis,” Whitley said before the vote. The reform will “benefit our citizens, and it will ease an unnecessary burden off of our law enforcement community.”

“New Hampshire has become an island in New England, with our overly burdensome regulations of cannabis that are out of sync with what the scientific health and social data says,” the senator said. “And most importantly, with what New Hampshire voters want.”

In the meantime, another bill - from Rep. Daryl Abbas (R) - that would have set up an adult-use market run by the state’s Liquor Commission was also defeated by the Senate, on a voice vote. The legislation was voted down by the chamber's committee earlier this month.

Photo: Courtesy of manish panghal on Unsplash