The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted last week to approve a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, marking the second time the chamber has passed the legislation. Members of the House voted 239-136 on Thursday to pass the measure, House Bill 1633 (HB1633), which would legalize pot for adults and set the stage for tightly regulated cannabis sales.
Bills with financial elements must be passed twice under New Hampshire state law. The first time the marijuana legalization measure was up for a vote in February, the chamber advanced the bill by a vote of 239-14. The bill was then sent to the House Financial Committee so the panel could consider the financial elements of the proposal.
On April 2, the Financial Committee voted 19-6 to recommend passage of a revised version of the legislation. Democratic Representative Chuck Grassie wrote a statement in support of the bill.
“The legalization of cannabis will move production and sales from the underground, sometimes dangerous, illicit market to legal businesses, allowing for appropriate regulations and control,” he said at the time, the Concord Monitor reported.
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Before the vote on Thursday, Republican state Representative Erica Layon, the sponsor of the measure, called on her colleagues in the House to pass the bill. She argued that many people in New Hampshire already have access to marijuana, either by growing their own, purchasing it in other states, or buying weed from the unregulated market. New Hampshire is an outlier in New England, being the only state in the region that has not yet legalized cannabis for adults.
“What this bill would change is that you could have regulated, tested products that are free of contaminants and are not mixed with other drugs,” Layon said, according to a separate report from the Concord Monitor.
Bill Permits 15 Pot Shops Statewide
If passed by the state Senate and signed into law by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, the bill would legalize marijuana for adults aged 21 and older, who would be permitted to possess up to four ounces of weed. The measure also legalizes the commercial production and sale of cannabis products under a tightly regulated model overseen by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. The bill only allows for 15 retail cannabis dispensaries to operate statewide to serve a population of nearly 1.4 million people.
Opponents of the bill argued that marijuana legalization would harm young people, pose a safety risk on the state’s roadways and would not reduce unregulated sales of weed. Supporters of the arguments countered that such outcomes have not been documented in states that have legalized recreational weed.
Republican Representative Kenneth Weyler encouraged his fellow representatives to vote “no” on the bill, saying that other states that have legalized cannabis have had public safety issues after the reforms were enacted.
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“We now have the examples of many other states that have legalized this substance over the past few years,” he said. “Have any of them bragged about how much money they made? Have any of them seen a reduction in petty crime?”
Bill Now Heads to State Senate
Following its passage in the House last week, HB 1633 now heads to the New Hampshire Senate for consideration by a legislative committee and the full body. If the Senate passes the bill, it will head to Sununu for consideration.
After years of opposition to legalizing recreational weed, the governor said last year he would sign a bill that does so in a tightly controlled manner. However, the legislation does not fulfill the conditions he set at the time, including a proposal that would only allow cannabis sales at state-run dispensaries. If Sununu gets the bill, he will have the option of vetoing the legislation or signing it into law.
Cannabis policy advocates hailed the House’s passage of the recreational marijuana bill by lawmakers in the Granite State. Jen Flanagan, director of regulatory policy for cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, said she gives “the New Hampshire House of Representatives a lot of credit for their hard work in passing the adult-use cannabis legalization legislation.”
“As with every other state that has legalized cannabis, New Hampshire must work out the details that work for their state and I hope the Senate takes this opportunity to see that safe and legal products are best for the public health and public safety of communities,” Flanagan wrote in an email to High Times.
BARTLETT — A New Hampshire State Trooper was injured in a single-car crash early Thursday morning on Route 302.
Sgt. Nathan Johnston, a 20-year veteran of the State Police, was traveling eastbound at approximately 3:20 a.m. when his cruiser veered off the road and struck a utility pole, causing utility wires to fall.
Johnston, who was on duty at the time, managed to call for assistance himself.
Responders from the Bartlett Fire Department, Bartlett Police Department, State Police, and utility companies arrived on the scene.
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After ensuring that the downed power lines were no longer live, they were able to safely extract Johnston from the wreckage.
He was transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
Traffic near the crash site is expected to face delays for several hours as repairs to the damaged utility pole are underway.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident.
BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire jury awarded $38 million to the man who blew the lid off abuse allegations at the state’s youth detention center Friday, in a landmark case finding the state’s negligence allowed him to be beaten, raped and held in solitary confinement as a teen.
David Meehan went to police in 2017 and sued the state three years later. Since then, 11 former state workers have been arrested and more than 1,100 other former residents of the Youth Development Center in Manchester have filed lawsuits alleging physical, sexual and emotional abuse spanning six decades.
Meehan’s case was the first to go to trial, and the outcome could affect the criminal cases, the remaining lawsuits, and a separate settlement fund the state created as an alternative to litigation.
Over the course of the four-week trial, the state argued it was not liable for the conduct of “rogue” employees and that Meehan waited too long to sue. The defense also tried to undermine his credibility and said his case relied on “conjecture and speculation with a lot of inuendo mixed in.”
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“Conspiracy theories are not a substitute for actual evidence,” attorney Martha Gaythwaite said in her closing statement Thursday.
Meehan’s attorneys accused the state of encouraging a culture of abuse marked by pervasive brutality, corruption and a code of silence.
“They still don’t get it,” David Vicinanzo said in his closing statement. “They don’t understand the power they had, they don’t understand how they abused their power and they don’t care.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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It’s easy to get there. The trailhead is a stone’s throw off of I-93 and just a few miles down the road from Waterville Valley Resort, but you still feel immersed in nature.
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The hike starts in a beautiful hardwood forest before opening up to the first stone ledge, where the views begin in earnest. There are tons of photo opps along the way. Then, you’re hiking on exposed rock, home to all kinds of lichen and other sensitive alpine species. There are some fun rock scrambles on this segment of the trail — nothing too crazy, but it keeps things interesting. Between peak one and peak two, you drop into an enchanted evergreen forest, and then you’re up on another long spiny rock ridge, before dropping back down into hardwood forest below.
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AMANDA GOKEE
Down on the farm
Beech Hill Farm is a great place to get a scoop of ice cream during the warmer months of the year, while checking out the barnyard animals that live there. The farm is on a picturesque hillside in Hopkinton that’s also home to calves, piglets, lambs, baby goats, donkeys, chickens, ducks, and rabbits. It feels like a real farm and smells like one too. The ice cream is delicious — 75 flavors that are all made in New England.
There’s also a walking path on the grounds. A one-mile trail passes one of the northernmost stands of Giant Rhododendron in New Hampshire, a flowering evergreen shrub, and a corn maze in the fall. And if you’re still hungry, the farm sells pasture-raised beef, pork, maple syrup, and eggs, as well.
The farm is now owned by Robert and Donna Kimball, and it’s been in their family for nine generations, which makes it one of the longest-running family-owned and operated farms, according to the family. And the next generation is already continuing that legacy: Nate Kimball is working with his grandparents to help operate the farm, after getting his degree from the University of New Hampshire in Integrated Agriculture and Business Management.
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The homestead was originally built in 1800 and was renovated in the 1990s to make space for events, the ice cream barn, and other visitor areas.
AMANDA GOKEE
The New Hampshire State House in Concord on June 01, 2023. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
Tour the State House
If you find yourself with weekday free time in Concord, swing by the gold-domed State House for a tour. Wander the halls yourself, or see if Virginia Drew in the first-floor visitor center can set you up with an expert guide.
The grounds outside are dotted with historic statues and markers, and the halls inside display more than 100 battle flags, plus massive portraits and murals at every turn. But the building is more than a museum: It’s the nation’s oldest State House in continuous use — and there is a lot going on.
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All under one roof, visitors can see the House and Senate, Governor and Executive Council, and Secretary of State’s office, where candidates add their names to the presidential primary ballot every four years.
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont looks at New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner before signing papers to be on the nation’s earliest presidential primary ballot, Nov. 5, 2015, at The Secretary of State’s office in Concord, N.H.Jim Cole
The two centuries of history that plaster the State House walls serve as backdrop for the history that continues to be written there everyday. Yet there is something delightfully mundane and accessible about the whole experience.
I once saw a family from Texas take a guided tour on a whim. They paused outside Governor Chris Sununu’s office and got a personal greeting. “Hi, I’m Chris,” the state’s chief executive said to them, stopping for a quick photo under a portrait of his father, former Governor John H. Sununu.
My parents didn’t meet any Sununus on our guided tour last year, but we had a blast learning about civics and history. To make the most out of your visit, I’d suggest calling the visitor center, 603-271-2154, ahead of time since Drew’s team juggles school tours as well.
STEVEN PORTER
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New Hampshire has more than 40 wineries and distilleries statewide, plus more than 100 breweries, so check the state’s travel and tourism website and the Brew NH beer map to see what tasting rooms are nearby.Bob Manley
Sip local wines
My in-laws absolutely loved sampling locally made fruit wines, meads, and ciders at Hermit Woods Winery & Eatery on Meredith’s Main Street when we explored the Lakes Region last fall. We went for the guided tasting of seven 1-ounce pours paired with cheeses and chocolate, then stayed for lunch as well.
I’m not the biggest fan of sweet wines, so I was relieved to find some samples to be pleasantly complex. Their blueberry wine, for example, drinks like a jammy red. I’ve given away a few bottles as gifts (and kept a few more for myself).
You can often find popular Hermit Woods products at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet locations throughout the state — including their refreshing sparkling hard cranberry apple cider — but the in-person experience in Meredith offers more variety, with indoor and outdoor spaces that invite visitors to linger. So it’s well worth stopping in.
New Hampshire has more than 40 wineries and distilleries statewide, plus more than 100 breweries, so check the state’s travel and tourism website and the Brew NH beer map to see what tasting rooms are nearby.
STEVEN PORTER
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Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee. Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
