2021-2022 N.H. Senators on Legalization:  10 Support — 2 Undecided — 12 Opposed

• Sen. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) has strongly supported all cannabis policy reform bills. He responded yes to all three MPP survey questions.
• Sen. Tom Sherman (D-Rye) voted yes on the medical cannabis bill in 2013 and the decriminalization bill in 2015 as a member of the House. In 2019, he voted yes on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) and spoke on the Senate floor in favor. He expressed support for legalization and regulation while HB 481 was being considered in 2019 and offered to help work out a compromise on the bill.
• Sen. Harold French (R-Franklin) voted yes on decriminalization bills as a member of the House in 2015 and 2016 and as a senator in 2017 when the bill became law. He voted yes on the medical cannabis home cultivation bill in 2019 (HB 364), and he was quoted in the Concord Monitor in 2019 expressing support for HB 648 (adult-use legalization and regulation) — although he said the bill needed more work before he could vote for it.
• Sen. Suzanne Prentiss (D-Lebanon) responded favorably to the question, “Should NH legalize the recreational use of marijuana?” on a candidate survey administered by Citizens Count. Her comment: “With proper addiction programs put in place at the same time."
• Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) responded yes to all three MPP survey questions — expressing support for allowing adults to use cannabis, taxing and regulating cannabis, and allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home. Survey comments: “I understand the racist history of the war of drugs, as well as the tax revenue possibilities of the cannabis industry. I also know that many people link marijuana to other more dangerous drugs and the opioid epidemic, which is not corroborated by scientific evidence. Therefore, I support a pathway to marijuana legalization that includes decriminalization, expungement of marijuana-related charges, and an information campaign about marijuana and its relationship to other drugs. Cannabis growth for personal use must be coupled with policy restrictions on cannabis gifting, to make sure that cannabis will not be gifted to those under 21. As we create a market for cannabis through legalization, we also need to also ensure that personal cannabis growth does not undermine the market.”
• Sen. Becky Whitley (D-Hopkinton) responded yes to all three MPP survey questions — expressing support for allowing adults to use cannabis, taxing and regulating cannabis, and allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home. Survey comments: (1) “I support legalizing cannabis with commonsense policies to advance public health. Cannabis prohibition has not stopped cannabis use or sales. Instead, it has fueled a black market, perpetuated the false theory that we can and should treat substance misuse by penalizing it, and contributed to mass incarceration. A black Granite Stater is four times more likely than a white Granite Stater to be arrested and jailed for marijuana possession. New Hampshire has rightfully undertaken a phased-in approach on cannabis, starting with therapeutic cannabis and continuing by decriminalizing small amounts. These policies have worked, and I believe it is time to legalize cannabis.” (2) “My first priority is the health and prosperity of Granite State families. Legalizing cannabis can and should be coupled with strong public health protections that reduce harms, help prevent substance misuse, protect youth from harmful effects, and ensure social equity. We can simultaneously end prohibition and advance commonsense policies that avert misuse. This includes setting the legal age for cannabis at 21 and regulating the sale of cannabis products. Because New Hampshire has limited sources of revenue, taxing cannabis cultivation and sales could be an important new source of revenue for the state. Similar to the regulation of alcohol in New Hampshire, at least 10% of revenue from cannabis cultivation and sales should go towards prevention, treatment and recovery programs for substance misuse.” (3) “Allowing adults to grow their own cannabis for personal use must be coupled with restrictions on gifting and in particular, prohibitions on gifts to anyone under 21 and limits on the amount that can be gifted. There should also be limits on the amount that can be cultivated for personal use to ensure it does not undermine the regulated retail market.”
• Sen. David Watters (D-Dover) voted yes on the decriminalization bill that became law in 2017 and yes on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019. He responded yes to all three MPP survey questions — expressing support for allowing adults to use cannabis, taxing and regulating cannabis, and allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home.
• Sen. Jay Kahn (D-Keene) voted yes on the decriminalization bill that became law in 2017. He voted yes on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019 and spoke in favor of a similar bill (SB 420) in 2020. He responded yes to MPP’s survey questions expressing support for allowing adults to use cannabis and allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home. He responded undecided/need more information to the question about taxing and regulating cannabis. Survey comment: “Unlicensed sale should carry fines and criminal penalties. Taxable revenue should be applied toward SUD services and education. Amounts grown for personal use should be limited.”
• Sen. Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua) voted yes on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019. As a member of the House (2004-2018), she voted yes on medical cannabis bills and decriminalization bills but she did not support legalization. She responded yes to MPP’s survey question expressing support for taxing and regulating cannabis and commented “with a strong regulatory package only.” She responded undecided/need more information to the question about allowing adults to use cannabis. In response to the question about allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home, she answered, “No, but I would support allowing cultivation by patients and caregivers who are registered with the therapeutic cannabis program.”
• Sen. Erin Hennessey (R-Littleton) — voted no on HB 481 (adult-use legalization and regulation) in 2019 and yes on HB 1648 (legalizing possession and cultivation for adults) in 2020.

• Sen. Kevin Cavanaugh (D-Hooksett) voted yes on the decriminalization bill 2017. In 2019, he voted yes on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) when the bill was first considered, but then he changed his position and voted to uphold the governor’s veto. He indicated that he was undecided on legalization in a 2017 survey administered by Citizens Count.
• Sen. Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) voted yes on the decriminalization bill that became law in 2017, but voted no on a similar bill in 2016. She voted no on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019 and voted to uphold the governor’s veto of that bill. She has not supported legalization.

• Sen. Denise Ricciardi (R-Bedford) responded “against” to a question about cannabis legalization on a survey administered by Citizens Count.
• Sen. Kevin Avard (R-Nashua) voted yes on decriminalization bills in 2015, 2016, and 2017. As a member of the House in 2011, he voted in support of a legalization bill, but his views seemed to change when he was elected to the Senate. In 2017, as a member of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, he voted no on a medical cannabis home cultivation bill (HB 472), and he did not support legalization as a senator.
• Sen. Ruth Ward (R-Stoddard) voted no on the decriminalization bill that became law in 2017. She responded no to all three MPP survey questions in 2018— expressing opposition to allowing adults to use cannabis, taxing and regulating cannabis, and allowing adults to cultivate cannabis at home. However, she noted on the survey that she would be willing to support allowing cultivation by registered patients. Sadly, when the medical cannabis home cultivation bill came to a vote in 2019 (HB 364), she voted no.
• Sen. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) voted yes on decriminalization bills in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and played a key role in the final compromise (e.g. the decision to set the threshold at three-quarters of an ounce in the bill that became law). He also vocally supported medical cannabis legislation in 2012 and 2013 and voted yes on those bills — again, playing a key role in the final compromise. Sadly, although he had supported a bill allowing home cultivation of cannabis in 2012 (SB 409), he opposed medical cannabis home cultivation bills as a member of the Senate Health Committee in 2019 (HB 364) and 2020 (SB 420), and he has not supported legalization.
• Sen. Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester) has a mixed record of voting both for and against medical cannabis and decriminalization bills. He voted no on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019 and voted to uphold the governor’s veto of that bill. He opposes legalization.
• Sen. Jim Gray (R-Rochester) voted no on decriminalization bills in 2015 and 2016 as a member of the House and voted yes in 2017 as a senator when the bill became law. He opposed medical cannabis home cultivation bills as a member of the Senate Health Committee in 2019 (HB 364) and 2020 (SB 420), and he has not supported legalization.
• Sen. Regina Birdsell (R-Hampstead) voted yes on the decriminalization bill in 2017, but she voted no on the medical cannabis home cultivation bill in 2019 (HB 364) and voted to uphold the governor’s veto of that bill. She opposes legalization.
• Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown) has strongly opposed all cannabis policy reforms throughout his time in the House and Senate. He spoke against the decriminalization bill on the House floor in 2015. In an interview with a Manchester radio station on July 1 (second audio clip, begins at 14:12 mark), he bragged about his role in defeating a decriminalization bill. “I have been really tough on marijuana,” he said. As a senator in 2017, he voted against decriminalization and spoke on the Senate floor against the legalization bill.
• Sen. Gary Daniels (R-Milford) voted no on decriminalization bills in 2015 and 2016. As a state representative, he voted no on medical cannabis legislation in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2016, he spoke on the Senate floor against decriminalization. “We are in a war, and the last thing we need is to tell our citizens that it's OK to use a little marijuana or any other illegal substance,” he said.
• Sen. Chuck Morse (R-Salem) has strongly opposed all cannabis reforms.
• Sen. Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry) has strongly opposed all cannabis reforms.
• Sen. Bob Giuda (R-Warren) has led efforts to block cannabis legalization in the Senate. He voted no on the decriminalization bill that became law in 2017, and he voted no on HB 364 (medical cannabis home cultivation) in 2019. He helped organize multiple press conferences in opposition to the legalization bill in 2019.

Download PDF