House Bill 1633-FN-A, as amended by the Senate, is a comprehensive piece of legislation that seeks to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis in New Hampshire. The bill establishes a framework for licensing cannabis establishments, including cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, distributors, and retail stores, and sets forth procedures for the testing of cannabis for potency and contaminants. It also appropriates funds for these activities and compares the regulation of cannabis to that of alcohol, maintaining the illegality of selling to minors and driving under the influence of cannabis. The bill includes insertions and deletions to existing laws, such as redefining "illegal drug" to exclude drugs authorized by law and updating language regarding valid passports. It also introduces a new chapter, RSA 318-F, which defines various cannabis-related terms and entities.
The bill permits individuals 21 years of age or older to possess, consume, and purchase cannabis within specified limits and prohibits the personal cultivation of cannabis unless authorized by New Hampshire law. It outlines penalties for consuming cannabis while operating a vehicle and clarifies that the bill does not permit driving under the influence of cannabis. The bill requires cannabis establishments to use an electronic inventory tracking system and includes provisions to prevent discrimination against individuals with prior non-violent cannabis convictions. Additionally, the bill specifies the activities that each type of license holder can legally engage in and mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to produce a biennial report on health and welfare outcomes related to cannabis legalization. It also establishes the New Hampshire Cannabis Control Commission, which will be responsible for the oversight of cannabis-related activities, and outlines the distribution of funds from the cannabis fund.
Statutes affected: Introduced: 6:12, 179:8, 318-B:17-c, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 651:5-b, 77-A:4, 78-A:1, 78-A:3, 78-A:4, 78-A:6, 78-A:7, 78-A:26, 126-X:1, 126-X:7, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 179:59, 178:19-a, 176:1, 176:14, 318-B:1
As Amended by the House: 6:12, 179:8, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 651:5-b, 77-A:4, 126-X:1, 126-X:7, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 179:59, 178:19-a, 176:1, 176:14, 318-B:1
As Amended by the House (2nd): 6:12, 179:8, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 651:5-b, 77-A:4, 126-X:1, 126-X:7, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 179:59, 178:19-a, 176:14, 318-B:1
As Amended by the Senate: 6:12, 179:8, 318-C:4, 318-B:26, 318-B:2-c, 318-B:2-d, 651:5-b, 77-A:4, 126-X:1, 126-X:7, 126-X:8, 292:7, 293-A:9, 304-C:149, 176:9, 176:7, 179:59, 176:11, 178:19-a, 176:14, 318-B:1