New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu won’t signal into regulation a invoice to legalize leisure that was handed final week by the state Home of Representatives, in line with media experiences. The Home handed the invoice for a required second time on Thursday, simply over every week after the measure’s authentic approval.
The measure, HB 1633, was launched initially of the yr by Republican state Rep. Erica Layon. The invoice was accredited within the Home on April 11 by a vote of 239-136. Beneath New Hampshire state regulation, laws with monetary parts have to be handed twice. The primary time the marijuana legalization measure was up for a vote in February, the chamber superior the invoice by a vote of 239-14.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire is unlikely to signal a hashish legalization invoice … [+]
If handed by the state Senate and signed into regulation by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, the invoice would legalize marijuana for adults aged 21 and older, who could be permitted to own as much as 4 ounces of weed. The measure additionally legalizes the industrial hashish manufacturing and gross sales below a tightly regulated mannequin overseen by the New Hampshire Liquor Fee. The invoice solely permits for 15 retail hashish dispensaries to function statewide to serve a inhabitants of practically 1.4 million folks.
The measure, nonetheless, doesn’t conform to situations set by Sununu. Final yr the governor mentioned he would signal a tightly regulated marijuana laws invoice, altering his stance on the difficulty after years of opposition.
“Governor Sununu has been crystal clear in regards to the framework wanted for a legalization invoice to earn his assist, specializing in hurt discount and maintaining it out of youngsters’ fingers,” his workplace mentioned in a press release to reporters after the Home handed the marijuana invoice on Thursday, in line with a report from Marijuana Second. “The laws handed right this moment doesn’t get us there however the Governor seems to be ahead to working with the Senate to see if we are able to get it performed.”
Governor Needs State-Run Weed Retailers
The governor is in search of a tightly regulated leisure marijuana program, with stores restricted to state-supervised franchises. The mannequin is unpopular with many Home lawmakers, nonetheless, who really feel such shut involvement would topic the state to authorized dangers.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu
Layon says she has approached Sununu’s workplace a number of instances to confer on the laws. The governor’s workplace has communicated with different lawmakers in regards to the topic, however his workplace has not responded to Layon’s request for collaboration.
“The invoice that handed the Home displays the Governor’s tips as I understood them, till his final minute embrace of a franchise mannequin,” Layon instructed Marijuana Second on Friday. “I made dozens of makes an attempt to satisfy with the Governor and his workers to get into the coverage particulars, however the perfect assembly I achieved was a walk-and-talk with him by means of the halls of the Capitol.”
The invoice now goes to the Senate, the place it could possibly be amended to align with the governor’s situations for legalizing marijuana. However Layon says that such a invoice could not discover the assist it wants for fulfillment within the Home.
“There’s a actual hazard that the Home could not settle for what comes again from the Senate,” Layon added, “so I sit up for speaking with my colleagues to make sure that something we obtain can move with out a Committee of Convention.”
