FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org
Concord, NH — The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) released their 2024 New Hampshire Cannabis Policy Voter Guide to help inform voters where candidates, as well as incumbent legislators, stand on a variety of cannabis issues.
MPP has created this voting guide, where we ranked candidates’ support for legalization and other cannabis policy reforms from A+ to F. The voter guide includes information from their records, public comments, responses to Citizens Count’s survey, and replies to our candidate survey.
At the top of the state’s ticket, Joyce Craig (D) received an “A” based on her support for cannabis policy reform, while Kelly Ayotte (R) received an “F” due to her long standing opposition to legalization and other cannabis policy reforms. Cook Political Report has ranked the gubernatorial race a “toss up”.
“This year’s elections will be key in shaping New Hampshire’s prospects for legalization in the following years. All of New Hampshire’s neighbors have already legalized cannabis for adults, and a majority of voters believe cannabis should be legal. Our goal is to educate voters on where candidates stand on cannabis policy reform so that they can cast informed votes,” said Karen O’Keefe, MPP’s director of state policies.
Polling shows 65% of New Hampshire voters support legalization. However, the “Live Free or Die” state remains an island of prohibition. While a legalization bill (HB 1633) passed both the House and Senate this year — and had the governor’s support — it did not make it past the finish line. As a result, New Hampshire is still the only state in New England that hasn’t legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older.
To date, 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older. Voters in three additional states will consider adult-use legalization initiatives on Election Day: Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 14 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.