Dictator Sununu Destroys Pro-Cannabis Bills

Over the past few years, New Hampshire has gained a reputation as the freest state in the union. More importantly, the state is trending in the direction of liberty, while the other 49 states and the federal government continue to trend towards authoritarianism. One of the very few libertarian policy areas that New Hampshire has failed to lead on is drug decriminalization. 

The state government did decriminalize medical cannabis a few years ago and does not seem to enforce its restrictions on the simple possession or use of cannabis. Still, New Hampshire’s policies on drug freedoms are nowhere near the best in the union, which is what we’ve come to expect from New Hampshire. Despite the legislature being the most libertarian in the union, the state has one major player who seems to hate cannabis with a passion: Dictator Sununu (formerly called the ‘governor’).

Chris Sununu works even harder than the typical politician to straddle the fence between the right and the left. He acts like a progressive on abortion and social issues and acts like a conservative on taxes and firearms, but he loves the major police unions more than anything on Earth. And if the police chiefs tell him to keep cannabis illegal, that’s what he’ll do. Sununu is a member of one of the family dynasties (his father was NH governor and in the Bush admin and his brother was a US Senator and is part of the World Economic Forum) and wields outsized influence in New Hampshire. It is well known that he owns the Senate and has major influence over the House. Each year, the House passes libertarian cannabis legislation, and the Senate kills it, likely at the direction of Dictator Sununu.

In 2022, many cannabis bills were proposed, and the state’s leaders have made sure to poison or kill nearly all of them, even the weak ones that would have granted the government more power. 

Proposed by two Democrats, one libertarian Republican, and one Independent, HB1306 sought to increase the amount of allowable cannabis from ¾ of an ounce to one full ounce and it sought to decrease the fines for possession by 90%. Leadership ensured that the bill was tabled by a voice vote.

Proposed by two libertarian Republicans, HB526 sought to drastically lower fines for the possession and sale of cannabis and sought to repeal certain provisions related to drug paraphernalia. Leadership ensured that it was referred to ‘interim study’ (killed) by a voice vote. 

Proposed by six Democrats, one libertarian Republican, and one Independent, HB237 sought to legalize and regulate cannabis in a similar fashion to alcohol. Leadership ensured that it was tabled by a division vote.

Proposed by two Democrats, HB1619 sought to add ‘moderate to severe chronic migraine headache’ to the conditions that would qualify citizens for medical cannabis. Leadership ensured that the bill was killed by a voice vote. 

Proposed by one Democrat and one Independent, HB1468 sought to legalize cannabis for persons 18 years and older. Leadership ensured that it was tabled by a roll call vote. 

Proposed by nine Democrats and one libertarian Republican, CACR20 sought to guarantee that all adults have the right to possess and use cannabis. Leadership ensured that it was killed by a division vote.

Proposed by six Democrats and three Republicans, CACR34 sought to enshrine in our Constitution that ‘the state shall make no law prohibiting the use, sale, or cultivation of cannabis for persons over 18 years of age.’ Leadership ensured that it was tabled by a division vote. 

Proposed by nine libertarian Republicans and one Democrat, CACR35 sought to enshrine in our Constitution that ‘all adults have the right to possess, use, and cultivate cannabis, subject to regulation by the legislature.’ Leadership ensured that it was tabled by a division vote. 

Proposed by six Democrats and one libertarian Republican, HB1348 sought to permit adults to ‘possess up to one ounce of cannabis, 5 grams of hashish, and certain cannabis-infused products; permits adults to cultivate up to 2 mature cannabis plants at home in a secure location that is not visible from other properties, and to possess and process the cannabis produced from their plants at the same location; permits adults to give cannabis to other adults, provided it is not more than one ounce of cannabis, 5 grams of hashish; provides that smoking or vaporizing cannabis in public by an adult would be punishable by a fine; provides that violations of the restrictions on cultivation would be a violation punishable by fine; penalizes dangerous, volatile extraction; and permits adults to possess, make, and sell cannabis accessories to other adults.’ Leadership ensured that it was tabled by a voice vote.

Proposed by five Republicans and one Democrat, HB629 sought to permit ‘adults to possess up to 3/4 of an ounce of cannabis, 5 grams of hashish, and certain cannabis-infused products; permits adults to cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants at home in a secure location that is not visible from other properties, and to possess and process the cannabis produced from their plants at the same location; permits adults to give cannabis to other adults, provided it is not more than 3/4 of an ounce of cannabis, 5 grams of hashish, or up to 300 mg of cannabis-infused products, or 3 immature plants; provides that smoking or vaporizing cannabis in public by an adult would be punishable by a $100 fine; provides that violations of the restrictions on cultivation would be a violation punishable by fine of up to $750; penalizes dangerous, volatile extraction; and permits adults to possess, make, and sell cannabis accessories to other adults.’ It passed the House and is now in the Senate.

Proposed by five Republicans and one Democrat, HB1598 sought to ‘Legalize the possession and use of cannabis for persons 21 years of age and older, authorizes the liquor commission to regulate and administer the cultivation, manufacture, testing, and retail sale of cannabis statewide, and makes an appropriation therefor, authorizes alternative treatment centers registered to dispense therapeutic cannabis to register, as a separate entity, to manufacture, cultivate, or transport cannabis to the state for retail sale, authorizes a municipality to enact an ordinance prohibiting or limiting the number and type of cannabis establishments that may be permitted within the municipality and regulating the time, place, and manner of operation of a cannabis establishment permitted within the municipality, establishes the cannabis control fund and requires funds to be distributed to the department of health and human services, bureau of drug and alcohol services, for education tax relief, public safety agency training purposes, and children’s behavioral health services, and makes an appropriation to the department of health and human services to create public media and social media campaigns to address some of the risks of cannabis use.’ It passed the House and is now in the Senate. The Senate Ways & Means Committee unanimously recommended killing the bill, and it is likely to die. Even pro-cannabis libertarians want this bill killed because it would grant new powers to the state government liquor commission. 

Once Dictator Sununu is replaced by a governor who supports liberty, New Hampshire will likely lead the union in drug freedom as it does with nearly all other freedoms. 

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Liberty Block or any of its members. We welcome all forms of serious feedback and debate.