One day after New Hampshire Senate rejected a marijuana-legalization bill the Republican Governor announced that he will sign an alternative proposal for legalization via a state-run store system.
The future is uncertain, since a House-passed bill from the last session which would have created a market run by the state Liquor Commission and overseen by it was also rejected in the Senate amid opposition even from many of the leading advocates for legalization.
Senate President Jeb Brad (R) said on Thursday he did not think lawmakers should give adult-use cannabis reform any priority.
Chris Sununu (R) has now expressed explicit support for having the state control cannabis sales–and with the Senate having killed this week’s more traditional legalization proposal that was favored by advocates, there may be a renewed push to advance a state run bill. Chris Sununu’s (R) explicit support of the state controlling cannabis sales, and the Senate’s rejection of the traditional legalization bill favored by supporters this week may lead to a renewed push for a state-run law.
This policy and framework will allow me to sign a bill legalizing marijuana that puts New Hampshire at the forefront, with a focus on harm reduction, not profits.
Read my statement:https://t.co/hX6JBGQSWQ
Chris Sununu 12 May 2023
Sununu acknowledged in a statement that he had previously believed New Hampshire was not ready for reform. Sununu has now changed his mind due to regional dynamics and public sentiment.
The governor stated that “NH is New England’s only state where recreational use of marijuana is illegal.” Knowing that the majority of residents in NH support legalization it’s reasonable to assume a change will happen. Ignoring this reality would have been shortsighted and harmful.
He said: “That’s why, with the proper policy and framework in hand, I am ready to sign a bill legalizing marijuana that puts the State of NH at the forefront, focusing not on profits, but harm reduction.” “Similar to our Liquor sales, this path helps to keep substances away from kids by ensuring the State of New Hampshire retains control of marketing, sales, and distribution–eliminating any need for additional taxes. The bill that was defeated this year in NH was not the best path for our state.
Sununu listed the specific provisions he believes should be included in a state-run bill to legalize marijuana, including local control which allows cities to prohibit cannabis retailers from operating within their region.
He also stressed the fact that marijuana sales should not be subject to taxation, just as they are for liquor. He said this would also help to curb the illicit market which, he claimed, has become “extremely dangerous” due to the prevalence of the drug fentanyl.
He said, “By regulating marijuana sales in New Hampshire the state will make sure that our citizens live in a safe place.”
“This is the long-term solution that will benefit our state.” I support legalizing marijuana the right way, with this legislature. This is better than a poorly-thought-out framework that could pass under future Governors or Legislatures. If the future legalization bill is passed without these provisions, it will be vetoed. It is the right path for our state, and I am ready to work with the legislators so that we can deliver an intelligent, sustainable legalization bill, while retaining the fabric and cultural of our state.
Sununu spoke about his new marijuana position in an interview that aired Friday, just before his official announcement.
@GovChrisSununu said in an interview with CloseUp that he would sign a bill legalizing cannabis under a state-controlled model. #NHPolitics #FITN #WMUR pic.twitter.com/b198Q7IzM3
Adam Sexton (@AdamSextonWMUR 12 May 2023
He said, “I would be ready if and when this type of thing were to become legalized.” “You can see the poll results. Evidently, the majority of people in the state are in favor. “Whether we like it, or not, we will probably have to deal with this in some form. Let’s design a system focusing on harm reduction instead of profits.”
House Majority leader Jason Osborne, who sponsored the bill for commercial legalization that was rejected by the Senate on Thursday, said that the Governor must have read the opinion piece that he wrote in April where he made “the conservative case for cannabis reform.” He added that he is “glad to see Sununu weigh in with his support.”
It’s great to see that the Governor has read my article in The Union Leader. I’m glad to see his support. https://t.co/cyeq2AhVBP
Jason Osborne 12 May 2023 HTML0
Osbourne stated in an interview with The Sun on Friday that if the Senate sent it back to him for approval, he could pass a bill establishing state-run retail stores this year. However, he said waiting until 2024 might be too late.
Majority Leader @Osborne4NH has responded to the news that @TheNHSenate is willing to sign a cannabis legalization bill under state control. He says “it could be done this year” as long as @TheNHSenate takes the initiative. #NHPolitics #WMUR pic.twitter.com/FEGTO4Npgz
Adam Sexton (@AdamSextonWMUR 12 May 2023
Prior to the Senate’s vote, the majority leader said he would be inclined to hold back that chamber’s bills if they again blocked marijuana reform as they have in previous sessions.
In a subsequent tweet, following the Senate’s action, he stated that “unpopular bans perpetuated through disingenuous arguments breed contempt for institutions and threaten peaceful order in society.”
Disingenuous arguments and unpopular prohibitions that are propagated through disingenuous arguments breed contempt towards our institutions, which threatens the peace of society.
Jason Osborne 12 May 2023
Advocates and stakeholders expressed concern about the prospect of a state controlled cannabis model. They preferred a more traditional market, like the one sponsored by the House majority leaders and minorities.
It’s encouraging to watch Gov. Sununu has acknowledged that the will and will of New Hampshire’s voters will prevail in the end, as well as expressing some openness towards cannabis legalization”, Karen O’Keefe of the Marijuana Policy Project’s state policy director told Marijuana Moment. “However state-run shops are almost certain to be an expensive boondoggle, and won’t start up until federal laws change.”
“That would only delay a model of regulation that works — and Gov. She said Sununu had also stated that he would veto any alternative approach. “Advocates would love to interact with Gov. Sununu should refine his language and address concerns in a manner that is effective. I wish he would have engaged six months earlier, rather than waiting until the day the Senate killed the legalization of marijuana to voice his tepid supports.”
Matt Simon, Director of Public and Government Relations at Prime Alternative Treatment Centers in New Hampshire, noted that the bill to run state-run shops last year was “barely passed through the House, and received zero votes from the Senate.”
He said that lawmakers had acknowledged the bill’s flaws on multiple levels.
(Disclosure – Simon supports Marijuana Moment via a pledge every month on Patreon.
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In a Thursday statement, Bradley, the Senate President, did not seem to indicate that he would be willing to advance any type of marijuana reform.
For Immediate Release- Senate Defeats House Bill 639:@SenJeb #nh #nhsenate #nhpolitics #hb639 pic.twitter.com/Rhd3yBtErz
The NH Senate 11 May 2023
He said that recreationalizing marijuana would send a mixed message and could worsen the drug crisis. It could also put more lives in danger. “Now is not the time to divert attention from the urgent challenges presented by the drug epidemic.”
Three freshman senators previously supported state-run store legislation as House Members last year. This could give the idea a pathway to pass through the Senate this coming year. However, this would only be possible if Democratic Senators who backed this week’s commercial bill also signed on to the government plan.
Schumer wants Marijuana banking bill to be voted on by committee ‘in the near future,’ reiterating plan to attach ‘criminal justice provisions’
Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
The post New Hampshire Gov. Backs Marijuana legalization through state-run stores after Senate defeats Reform Bill first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
