A key legislative committee in New Hampshire has scheduled a vote for legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana for everyone 21 and older.
The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee has scheduled an executive session vote on House Bill 544 for October 17 at 10am. The vote, which comes a little over a month after the committee held a public hearing on the measure, will take place at Legislative Office Building 302-304.
House Bill 544, filed in January 2023 by five Democrats, would legalize marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol, including a putting control of the legal marijuana market in the hands of the state liquor commission.
According to recent polling, 65% of New Hampshire residents are in favor of legalizing marijuana for everyone 21 and older, indicating strong public backing.
The vote comes a few months after the New Hampshire House of Representatives narrowly rejected a similar legalization measure (House Bill 1633) by a vote of 178 to 173. House Bill 1633 has already passed the full Senate when it was rejected by the House, and Governor Sununu (R) said he would sign it into law if it reached his desk, making the House’s rejection of the bill a particularly crushing blow to many legalization proponents.
In August, Governor Sununu signed a bill that expands access to medical marijuana, making it available for all qualifying conditions.
