A key committee in New Hampshire has approved a bill that gets the state closer to marijuana legislation.

The bill, to tax and regulate marijuana sales, had passed the legislation in a 14-6 vote in The House Ways and Means Committee.

The bill will now go back to the chamber’s floor for another vote there and then onto the Senate. The full House initially approved it last month.

If passed, the bill will allow adults 21 and older to possess, consume, cultivate, gift and purchase marijuana from licensed retailers. A governor-appointed commission would be tasked with developing regulatory policies and issuing the licenses.

The bill will also help individuals with prior convictions for possessing or growing cannabis to get their records clear.

“This is a major step forward and suggests support and momentum are growing in the legislature,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

“In previous years, this committee’s negative recommendations turned out to be death sentences for legalization bills that had initially received approval from the full House. This time around, it has given its blessing to a proposal that received record-high support.”

“It’s time for the House to approve HB 481 and send it over to the Senate,” he said.
While Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has said he plans to veto cannabis legalization if it gets on his desk, House Speaker Steve Shurtleff (D) believes there is enough support in his chamber to override a veto. The same goes for the Senate.

“There is a growing sentiment that prohibition is not working and that legalization is inevitable, both in New Hampshire and the surrounding region,” Simon said. “With HB 481, lawmakers have developed a sensible path forward for the state. This was evidenced by the strong majority support we saw during the initial House vote, and it was confirmed by the committee’s about-face compared to previous years.”


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