Three cannabis bills took important steps forward this week in the New Hampshire House. Two bills passed in committee votes, advancing to the full House, and a third bill passed overwhelmingly on the House floor. A fourth bill was “retained,” which means action on it will be delayed until later this year. Unfortunately, a fifth bill aimed at improving the therapeutic cannabis law was voted “inexpedient to legislate” by a House committee.
The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted “ought to pass” on these two bills:
- HB 190 (Howard) would increase the purchase and possession limit for therapeutic cannabis from 2 ounces to 4 ounces. The vote was unanimous.
- HB 198 (Sullivan) would legalize possession of up to two ounces of cannabis for adults with no retail sales. The vote was 9-7 in favor.
Sadly, the committee voted to recommend against passage of this bill:
- HB 380 (Vail) would eliminate the extra felony penalty for diverting therapeutic cannabis. (Selling cannabis is a felony for anybody in N.H., so it would be unfair for patients to face two felony charges for the same offense.) The motion of “inexpedient to legislate” passed 9-6.
HB 380 will still receive a vote in the full House, despite this negative committee recommendation. If you’d like to email your representatives and urge them to support it, you can find their contact information here.
Additionally, one bill passed on the House floor:
- HB 54 (Thomas) would allow ATCs to convert from a non-profit to for-profit business structure. The House passed it in an overwhelming 358-14 vote.
Finally, the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee voted to “retain” a legalization bill:
- HB 186 (Sullivan) would legalize cannabis for adults and set up an independent Cannabis Commission to regulate cannabis sales. The committee will resume consideration of this bill after the summer break, and it will be scheduled for a vote in the full House next January.
Four Cannabis Bills Had Already Passed the House
As a reminder, the House had already passed four other cannabis-related bills so far this year. These bills will soon be considered by the Senate:
- HB 51 (Thomas) would enable ATCs to expand product offerings by utilizing affordable non-intoxicating cannabinoids (e.g. CBD, CBG, and CBN) derived from hemp. ATCs would be required to have hemp-derived cannabinoids tested by an independent lab before using them to make products for patients, to ensure safety. The House approved this bill in a unanimous vote without objection or debate.
- HB 53 (Thomas) would allow home cultivation of therapeutic cannabis for qualifying patients and designated caregivers to cultivate limited amounts. The limit would be 3 mature plants, 3 immature plants, and 12 seedlings for each patient. The House passed this bill by a very large margin, 328-42.
- HB 75 (Verville) would legalize unlimited possession, cultivation, and sale of cannabis for adults with no regulation of sales. This bill passed the House in a voice vote. However, it seems extremely unlikely that the Senate will take this bill seriously due to its lack of limits or regulations.
- HB 196 (Wheeler) would improve New Hampshire’s process for annulling previous offenses for cannabis possession. The House passed it in a voice vote.
- HB 301 (Vail) would allow ATCs to operate a second cultivation location, which could be a greenhouse, subject to all the rules and regulations that apply to current ATC production facilities. (Currently all cultivation must take place indoors.) The House passed HB 301 in a voice vote.
Coming Soon: Senate Hearings!
Every bill that passes the House will receive a public hearing in a Senate committee in the coming weeks. No Senate hearings have been scheduled yet, but it’s not too soon to send an email to your state senator! It’s very important that senators hear from constituents who feel strongly about cannabis legislation.
You can find your senator’s contact information by selecting your town from the drop-down box on this page.
Here are a few tips for writing an effective email to your state senator:
- Focus on sharing personal experiences that illustrate how the bills you are writing about would benefit you or others.
- Include the bill numbers for any bill you are asking them to support.
- Always be polite and respectful. Legislators do not respond favorably to insulting or belittling communications
- Include your name and town so they will know you are a constituent.
Thank you for reading this update. We will be sure to inform you when these bills are scheduled for hearings in the Senate!
