Lawmakers in New Hampshire on Tuesday heard public testimony on a newly proposed amendment to a marijuana legalization bill that that would transform the measure into a state-controlled franchise model of commercial sales, a novel framework that has the support of Gov. Chris Sununu (R).
The 38-page striking amendment from Rep. Dan McGuire (R) would replace the current text of HB 1633 from Rep. Erica Layon (R), who has warned that the franchise model—under which the state would oversee day-to-day operations of private licensees—could put New Hampshire at legal risk in the event of lawsuits or federal prosecution. The approach in her original bill would instead adopt a more traditional licensing approach and set strict limits on ads and marketing.
Since introducing the legislation in January, Layon has spent weeks working to build consensus with Senate counterparts and members of a state study commission convened last year to propose legalization legislation of its own—a task the panel failed to complete before a deadline in December. She’s also reached out to Sununu’s office, though she told colleagues at a hearing earlier this month that she had yet to actually speak with the governor.
Sen. Darryl Abbas (R), who led the state study commission last year and previewed the shift to a franchise model at that hearing, has maintained that Layon’s bill won’t fly in the Senate—a criticism he repeated at Tuesday’s hearing.
Lawmakers have also stressed the importance of currying favor from the governor, who issued a set of requirements to the study commission late last year about components that a bill would need to include to win his support, including a 15-store limit on retailers statewide and a ban on all political lobbying by the industry. Some on the commission blamed the last-minute demands for the body’s failure to arrive at a consensus by its deadline, though members were already at odds before the governor’s office sent the memo.
At Tuesday’s hearing on his new amendment, McGuire told members of the House Finance Committee that he spoke with the governor’s office to get a sense of what Sununu would approve.
“I personally met with the governor’s representative,” McGuire said. “He gave me a list of things the governor has said would make such legislation acceptable. Number one on that list is what’s called the franchise model. That’s what this amendment represents.”
He likened the model to how McDonald’s works, with private operators running individual stores that together are overseen by the corporate entity itself. Under his striking amendment, New Hampshire’s Liquor Commission would run the state’s marijuana industry, with private operators responsible for day-to-day operations.
H/T: marijuanamoment.net
You can view the whole article at this link.
