Lawmakers failed to consider two pieces of legislation related to the legalization of marijuana before the end of the 2016 legislative session.
HB 1610 and HB 1675 both sought to permit the personal cultivation and commercial retail sale of marijuana in the state. Members of the House rejected a separate measure, HB 1694 in a floor vote on Thursday, February 11th.
Police in New Hampshire arrest some 2,900 individuals annually for simple marijuana possession offenses. The continued criminalization of adult marijuana use is out-of-step with the views of New Hampshire adults, some 62 percent of whom now endorse legalizing and regulating the plant, according to a February 2016 WMUR Granite State Poll.
Despite more than 70 years of federal marijuana prohibition, Americans’ consumption of and demand for cannabis is here to stay. It is time for state lawmakers to acknowledge this reality. It is time to stop ceding control of the marijuana market to untaxed criminal enterprises and it is time for lawmakers to impose common-sense regulations governing cannabis’ personal use by adults and licensing its production.
NORML would like to thank those of you who contacted your state lawmakers in support of this legislation.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
