New Hampshire Senate Committee Rejects Marijuana Legalization Bill Citing Public Safety Concerns
The New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee has voted against a bill that would legalize the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana for adults, citing public safety concerns. The 3-2 vote on House Bill 198, which was passed by the House of Representatives in March, further dims the prospects of New Hampshire joining surrounding states in allowing recreational marijuana use.
The bill’s opponents, including Republican Senator Bill Gannon, argued that legalization would send the wrong message to young people and would add to the challenges they already face. Gannon, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, also expressed concerns about the potential negative impact on public health and safety.
Proponents of the bill, including Representative Jared Sullivan, argued that it would stop the unnecessary arrest of people for possessing a substance that is legal in neighboring states. Sullivan, the prime sponsor of the bill, pointed out that many people in New Hampshire already consume marijuana, but are arrested and have their rights disrupted as a result.
The bill does not address the issue of marijuana sales, but instead focuses on legalizing possession. It includes provisions banning smoking in public and is modeled after a similar bill passed in Vermont, which legalized possession and later established a system for its sale.
The Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based advocacy group, urged the committee to support the bill, arguing that it would treat adults like grown-ups who can make their own decisions about a substance that is safer than alcohol. The group’s director, Karen O’Keefe, pointed out that polls show a majority of New Hampshire residents support legalization, and that the state’s current laws are out of step with public opinion.
The bill will now move to the full Senate for a vote, where it is unlikely to pass given the opposition from Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte and the Republican-controlled Senate.
