New marijuana legalization bill gets New Hampshire hearing

The New Hampshire Legislature is once again debating recreational use of marijuana but efforts to legalize it still face significant hurdles.

In the decade since the state legalized medical marijuana, the House has passed recreational marijuana bills several times only to see them get killed in the Senate. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu also has been an opponent, and his office said Wednesday he doesn’t expect new legislation to reach his desk this year.

Undeterred, a coalition that includes both the ACLU of New Hampshire and the conservative group Americans for Prosperity is backing a bipartisan bill to legalize the drug, regulate and tax retail operations and allow it to be grown at home. Most of the revenue would go toward reducing the state’s pension liability, with some going to substance abuse prevention programs and other groups.

Sponsors include both Republican House Majority Leader Jason Osborne and House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm.

“What you are looking at is a result of a number of months of work by an entire coalition of groups and advocates, everything from the business side to the consumer side, the civil rights side to the economic liberty side, as well as the recovery community and people concerned about child safety,” Osborne told the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee. “It’s about time we get something done.”

[Read more at Boston.com]