New Hampshire Senate Blocks Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

The New Hampshire Senate voted 12-10 on Thursday to table a House-approved
cannabis legalization bill, WMUR reports. The move marks the likely defeat
of adult-use cannabis legislative efforts this year in New Hampshire,
despite the House having passed two separate legalization proposals this
year.

According to Senate Majority Leader Regina Birdsell (R), Republican
lawmakers voted down the proposal because Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) opposes
cannabis legalization reforms.

“The governor will veto any cannabis bill that comes to her desk.” —
Birdsell, in the report

The New Hampshire House passed its first cannabis legalization bill this
year in February, then followed it up several weeks later by passing a second
proposal. The second proposal was more restrictive than the previous
proposal, leaving out cannabis retail and home grows entirely, but the
tempered reforms still went too far for Republican state senators.

Previously, the House and Senate have each passed their own legalization
proposals but the bodies were never able to reconcile the proposals under a
single bill.

Meanwhile, a poll last summer found that 65% of New Hampshire residents either
“strongly” or “somewhat” support legalizing adult-use cannabis in the
state.