NH House signals bipartisan support for legalizing marijuana, but bill faces bleak future

Under bill, marijuana sales profits would go toward drug treatment, property tax relief.

CONCORD, N.H. - The New Hampshire House is advancing new legislation to legalize marijuana for Granite Staters age 21 and up and put the New Hampshire Liquor Commission in charge of sales.

"The benefits of this model, which New Hampshire already has the infrastructure in place for, is that New Hampshire will be selling a clean, superior, tax-free product at a lower price than any of the surrounding states,” Rep. Daryl Abbas, R-Salem, said.

"Tax relief, education funding, substance abuse treatment: These are concepts just about everyone in our state can get behind,” Rep. Casey Conley, D-Dover, said.

While the bill garnered a strong bipartisan majority of 235 votes, not all state reps are on board.

"Simply put, New Hampshire has wisely held the line on marijuana legalization. We do not need to become the first-in-the-nation drug cartel now,” Rep. Susan Homola, R-Hollis, said.

The bill is headed back to committee for more work on the financial side, and it faces a very difficult path once it reaches the Senate, but the House has shown repeated bipartisan support now for legal cannabis.

"The time has come to stop bogarting and pussyfooting around on this issue,” Rep. Chris True, R-Sandown, said.