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Marijuana Legalization Loses Steam At N.H. State House

Heath Alseike via Flickr CC
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Efforts to loosen New Hampshire's marijuana laws appear to be losing momentum at the State House, as separate Senate committees took action this week against bills that would make marijuana more accessible.

New Hampshire decriminalized up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana in 2017, but if the Senate committee votes stand, full legalization will be off the table in 2020. So will allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana for "any condition."

The legalization proposal, which had already cleared the House, would allow anyone over 21 to buy marijuana. Retail sales would be taxed at 9 percent.

But by a unanimous vote this week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send the proposal to interim study, which would effectively kill it.

Gov. Chris Sununu, who signed decriminalization into law, has said he'd veto any bill to legalize marijuana.

Voters in Massachusetts and Maine legalized marijuana though ballot questions in 2016. Last year, Vermont became the first state to legalize marijuana though an act of the legislature.

I cover campaigns, elections, and government for NHPR. Stories that attract me often explore New Hampshire’s highly participatory political culture. I am interested in how ideologies – doctrinal and applied – shape our politics. I like to learn how voters make their decisions and explore how candidates and campaigns work to persuade them.
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