The New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill to legalize marijuana through a state-run model. But pro-legalization advocates are sounding the alarm about the specifics of the proposal. The legislation from Rep. Daryl Abbas (R) cleared the chamber in a 235-119 vote, despite facing resistance from people on both sides of the broader cannabis debate. The action comes about a month after the House passed a separate, non-commercial legalization bill that’s also elicited criticism. The bill is “a compromise by many who favor recreational cannabis and many who like me that have traditionally opposed recreational cannabis,” Abbas said on the floor. It “creates a policy like no other state that works for and serves the people of New Hampshire.” “The time for talking is over,” he said. It’s time for us together to take action and to deliver this.” Under the proposal, which must still go before the House Finance Committee because of its fiscal components and then receive another floor vote before advancing to the Senate, adults 21 and older would be able to purchase cannabis from state-run dispensaries operated by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/16/2022 14:27:00