The New Hampshire legislature last week failed to pass a recreational marijuana bill, leaving the state as the only one in New England to maintain the criminal prohibition of cannabis.
The measure, House Bill 1633, was passed by the New Hampshire House of Representatives in April. The state Senate then approved an amended version of the bill in May, sending the legislation to a conference committee for lawmakers from both chambers of the legislature to negotiate a consensus version of the bill.
After years of opposition to legalizing recreational marijuana, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said last year that he would sign a legalization bill if it contained strict controls on cannabis sales including a cap of 15 dispensaries controlled by the state under a franchise model. The version of the bill approved by the House did not limit sales to state-run pot shops, leading Sununu to vow not to sign it, but the Senate amended the legislation to include the requirement for state-run dispensaries sought by the governor.
The bill that emerged from the legislative conference committee last week retained the state-run dispensary model suggested by Sununu, leading some lawmakers in the House who had led the drive to legalize recreational to urge colleagues to vote against the negotiated bill. On Friday, the Senate approved the conference committee version but members of the House voted 178-173 to table the bill, killing it for the current legislative session.
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