New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is not going to signal into legislation a invoice to legalize leisure that used to be handed closing week through the state Space of Representatives, in line with media stories. The Space handed the invoice for a required 2nd time on Thursday, simply over every week after the measure’s authentic approval.
The measure, HB 1633, used to be offered in the beginning of the yr through Republican state Rep. Erica Layon. The invoice used to be authorized within the Space on April 11 through a vote of 239-136. Underneath New Hampshire state legislation, regulation with monetary parts will have to be handed two times. The primary time the marijuana legalization measure used to be up for a vote in February, the chamber complex the invoice through a vote of 239-14.
If handed through the state Senate and signed into legislation through Republican Governor Chris Sununu, the invoice would legalize marijuana for adults elderly 21 and older, who can be authorized to own as much as 4 oz of weed. The measure additionally legalizes the economic hashish manufacturing and gross sales below a tightly regulated type overseen through the New Hampshire Liquor Fee. The invoice handiest permits for 15 retail hashish dispensaries to perform statewide to serve a inhabitants of just about 1.4 million other folks.
The measure, alternatively, does now not agree to stipulations set through Sununu. Remaining yr the governor mentioned he would signal a tightly regulated marijuana regulation invoice, converting his stance at the factor after years of opposition.
“Governor Sununu has been crystal transparent concerning the framework wanted for a legalization invoice to earn his reinforce, specializing in hurt relief and holding it out of children’ palms,” his place of business mentioned in a observation to journalists after the Space handed the marijuana invoice on Thursday, in line with a record from Marijuana Second. “The regulation handed lately doesn’t get us there however the Governor appears to be like ahead to running with the Senate to peer if we will be able to get it finished.”
Governor Needs State-Run Weed Stores
The governor is looking for a tightly regulated leisure marijuana program, with stores limited to state-supervised franchises. The type is unpopular with many Space lawmakers, alternatively, who really feel such shut involvement would topic the state to prison dangers.
Layon says she has approached Sununu’s place of business a number of occasions to confer at the regulation. The governor’s place of business has communicated with different lawmakers concerning the topic, however his place of business has now not answered to Layon’s request for collaboration.
“The invoice that handed the Space displays the Governor’s pointers as I understood them, till his closing minute include of a franchise type,” Layon instructed Marijuana Second on Friday. “I made dozens of makes an attempt to satisfy with the Governor and his personnel to get into the coverage main points, however the most productive assembly I completed used to be a walk-and-talk with him during the halls of the Capitol.”
The invoice now is going to the Senate, the place it may well be amended to align with the governor’s stipulations for legalizing marijuana. However Layon says that the sort of invoice would possibly not to find the reinforce it wishes for luck within the Space.
“There’s a actual risk that the Space would possibly not settle for what comes again from the Senate,” Layon added, “so I stay up for speaking with my colleagues to make sure that the rest we obtain can go and not using a Committee of Convention.”