Concord, NH: Members of the New Hampshire House
of Representatives voted 236 to 96 last week in favor of legislation that
would allow for the personal cultivation and use of cannabis for
therapeutic purposes. The veto-proof majority approval came
following renewed veto threats by Democrat Gov. John Lynch, who
previously rejected a separate, more
restrictive medical marijuana measure in 2009.
As passed by the House, Senate
Bill 409 allows qualified patients to possess up to four
cannabis plants and/or six ounces of marijuana for therapeutic
purposes.
Members of the Senate had previously passed the measure in March
by a 13 to 11 vote.
Because House members added a fiscal note to the bill, it must
now go before the House Finance Committee before returning to the
Senate for a concurrence vote. The measure requires three
additional Senate votes in order to override Gov. Lynch’s
anticipated veto.
Separate legislation — HB 1526, which sought to decriminalize
the possession of up to one-half ounce of marijuana for adults for
non-medical purposes — was rejected by the Senate on Wednesday. The House
had previously voted in favor of the measure in March.
