New Hampshire’s House of Representatives is trying everything to get cannabis legalization across the finish line, including sending multiple bills to the Senate to see what might stick.
The House Makes Another Push
In a 208-125 vote, House lawmakers passed House Bill 198 last week, marking the second time this year they’ve approved adult-use cannabis legislation. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jared Sullivan of Bethlehem, would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess cannabis—but there’s a catch.
This “simple legalization” approach doesn’t create any legal way to buy or sell cannabis. It permits adults to possess:
- 2 ounces of cannabis flower
- 10 grams of concentrate
- 2,000 milligrams of THC
But with no provisions for home growing or retail sales, New Hampshire residents would have no legal way to actually obtain cannabis—crossing state lines with it remains federally illegal.
Why Another Bill?
The House already passed a similar bill (H.B. 75) in February. So why the duplicate effort? Sullivan explained during floor debate that he’d spoken with senators who might prefer his slightly different approach:
“I did talk to some senators who thought this model, which is slightly different than the one we’ve already passed a few weeks ago, there are a few guardrails and some of the senators said they might be open to supporting it with some of these guardrails, like a prohibition on public consumption.”
Political Realities
The bill passed with strong bipartisan support—93% of House Democrats and 39% of House Republicans voted in favor. But skeptics point out that cannabis bills from the House have repeatedly died in the Senate.
Republican Rep. Jennifer Rhodes voiced her frustration: “For as long as I’ve been here, we are up here discussing marijuana. We keep passing them out of this body. They go across the street; they go nowhere.”
The political outlook is even cloudier considering Governor Kelly Ayotte has stated she has “no interest” in signing any cannabis legalization bills—a stark contrast from former Governor Sununu, who had indicated openness to a state-run model.
The Vermont Path
Sullivan suggested New Hampshire could follow Vermont’s approach, which first legalized possession in 2018 before later establishing a retail market.
“Once we get it legalized, we can continue to have that debate,” Sullivan said. “Do we want it to be a private industry-based model? Do we want it to be state-run models? These things are where we’re getting kind of caught up in the weeds.”
Public Support vs. Political Will
Despite being the last New England state without adult-use legalization, 65% of New Hampshire residents support cannabis reform, according to a 2024 University of New Hampshire survey.
Currently, possessing less than 3/4 ounce is a civil penalty in the state, while larger amounts can lead to criminal charges with up to a year in prison and $350 in fines.
Sullivan made his case with a simple appeal: “It’s 2025. Let’s stop arresting people and ruining their lives for the possession of cannabis, something that many states in the country have already legalized.”
Sullivan is also sponsoring a more comprehensive bill (H.B. 186) that would establish a regulated market, but that legislation remains in committee while lawmakers test what approach might finally succeed.
