, mpp.org

WCL NEWS — The New Hampshire House of Representatives Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 11-7 against recommending the passage of HB492, a bill to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol, despite a new poll showing strong public support for the measure.

According to a new WMUR Granite State Poll released October 25 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 60% of New Hampshire adults support HB492. Just 36% said they are opposed. The poll of 603 randomly selected New Hampshire adults was conducted October 1-7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%. (See the poll’s complete results.)

“Marijuana prohibition has been just as big of a failure as alcohol prohibition,” said Matt Simon, a New Hampshire-based legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project. “New Hampshire voters are clearly ready for a more sensible approach. It appears some legislators are still less evolved than their constituents on this issue.”

Support for ending marijuana prohibition in New Hampshire reflects growing public support nationwide. A Gallup poll released earlier this month found a record-high 58% of Americans now support making marijuana legal.

“Most Americans are fed up with laws that criminalize adults for using an objectively less harmful substance than alcohol,” Simon said. “It is time to regulate and tax marijuana like alcohol. Sales should benefit legitimate, taxpaying businesses instead of cartels in the underground market. Law enforcement officials’ time and resources should be spent addressing serious crimes, not arresting and prosecuting adults for using marijuana.”