This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
New Hampshire Senate Republicans snuffed out a marijuana legalization bill Thursday despite public opinion polling showing a majority of Granite Staters favor ending penalties for adult possession of small amounts of cannabis.
Most Republican senators voted Thursday to table, or remove from further consideration, House Bill 198, while all Democrats voted to consider the bill. The final vote to table the measure was 12-10, effectively ending hopes for legalization this session.
Legalization bills have passed the House several times in previous years only to die in the Senate. Last year, a legalization bill passed the Senate but didn’t clear the House.
Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, opposed tabling HB 198. The measure would legalize adult possession of up to two ounces of marijuana for recreational use.
“There is a need for a remedying of the penalties regarding possession of cannabis in small quantities,” he told the Senate.
He noted that the bill concerns only possession, not sales. He said the bill would help police “who are better off focusing on other things,” rather than simple marijuana possession.
Fenton said in an interview after the Senate session that HB 198 “is about fairness.”
“Adults in half the country and all our neighboring states can legally possess cannabis,” he said. “And we’re continuing to arrest people in New Hampshire for something that is legal a few miles away. And I think that’s unjust and outdated.”
He noted that those arrested under the current law can be burdened by a criminal record that may make it harder for them to get a job or a place to live.
Sen. Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead, argued before the Senate Thursday that the bill should be tabled.
“We have debated cannabis to death,” she said. “The governor will veto any cannabis bill that comes to her desk.”
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte has said repeatedly she is against legalization.
A 2023 University of New Hampshire poll showed seven out of 10 New Hampshire residents supported legalization.
Under current New Hampshire law, possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce is a citation-level offense, similar to a speeding ticket. Possession of larger amounts remains a criminal offense. Licensed treatment centers are allowed to sell the drug to treat specific illnesses.
Sen. Bill Gannon, R-Sandown, said in a Senate committee meeting last month that legalization would send the wrong message to kids, adding he never tried the drug himself because it is against the law.
He also said many young people already face a range of challenges, including academic and psychological problems.
“This is just one more burden we’re going to place on them when they see adults doing it,” he said. “It’s going to send a green light that it’s OK.”
