Members of the New Hampshire House are once again trying to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, with lawmakers giving their initial approval this week to legislation that would allow the Liquor Commission to oversee the market.
The House voted 234-127 on Feb. 22 to advance House Bill 639 to the Ways and Means Committee.
While the New Hampshire House has repeatedly passed adult-use cannabis legalization measures—most recently approving legislation in March 2022 that would have allowed state-run liquor stores to sell cannabis—the Senate has stalled these efforts.
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This year’s adult-use legalization bill again proposes that the New Hampshire Liquor Commission regulates cannabis, according to the Associated Press.
H.B. 639 would also levy a 15% cultivation tax, the news outlet reported, with the majority of the tax revenue flowing to the state’s education trust fund and aimed at reducing the state’s pension liability. Additional portions of tax revenue would go toward police training and substance abuse prevention programs.
