A New Hampshire Senate committee on Thursday took a historic step by approving a House-passed bill to legalize marijuana possession and cultivation for adults 21 and older. This marks the first time that a cannabis legalization bill has moved through a Senate panel. While the House has advanced a number of reform proposals over the past several sessions—including a separate bill this year to create a regulated, state-run marijuana market—the Senate has long posed a serious obstacle on the issue. Now the Senate Judiciary Committee has passed the bipartisan non-commercial legalization bill from Rep. Carol McGuire (R) in 3-2 vote. It next heads to the Senate floor. There was light discussion about the proposal prior to the panel’s vote. Sen. Rebecca Whitley (D) said that “we have learned a lot from the past 40 years and the so-called ‘war on drugs,’ and I think the reality is that it’s been shown that the war on marijuana in particular…doesn’t keep us safe and can often waste taxpayer dollars and, in many cases, it can really ruin people’s lives.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/14/2022 12:26:00