US State Governor Faces Backlash From Democratic Challenger Over Veto Of Medical Marijuana Greenhouse Bill

A New Hampshire Democratic candidate for governor is criticizing Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte for vetoing legislation that would have let medical cannabis companies grow marijuana in greenhouses. The bill passed both the Senate and House this session in voice votes before Ayotte vetoed it last month. In her veto statement, Ayotte wrote simply: "I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state." Cinde Warmington, the sole Democrat seeking her party's nomination to challenge Ayotte in November and a former member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, posted a social media video attacking the decision. "Come on, Kelly. Shouldn't we be trying to make health care more affordable for Granite Staters, not less?" she said. "This bill would have made medical cannabis more affordable and more accessible to Granite Staters who really need it, and she vetoed it. But honestly, this is what we've come to expect from Kelly Ayotte. Look what she did to the Medicaid premiums. She increased them by up to $270 a month on the most vulnerable Granite Staters. She increased prescription co-pays when other costs are already going through the roof." Warmington added that "New Hampshire deserves a governor who will fight to make sure we have lower health care costs and that health care is more accessible." Lawmakers and advocates are now pushing to override the veto. Sen. Howard Pearl (R), the bill's lead sponsor, said in an interview last month, "I disagree with the governor's decision to veto SB 468. This bipartisan bill would have provided a practical way to lower costs for patients with serious medical conditions while maintaining the rigorous oversight and safeguards that have made New Hampshire's Therapeutic Cannabis Program successful." He added that lawmakers "should be looking for responsible ways to expand access to treatment and ease financial burdens." Sen. Tara Reardon (D) said she is "disappointed," noting the veto denies "cost-saving measures for more than 17,000 veterans and patients across New Hampshire who rely on medical cannabis as an important component of their physician-recommended care." She said she hopes colleagues will join her "in voting to override the veto and pass the bill into law." The bill would have let registered alternative treatment centers seek approval to operate greenhouse cultivation sites, at existing or new locations, "to reduce energy costs and provide lower prices for registered qualifying patients." The only opposing testimony came from a former state lawmaker who chairs the prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana NH. Ayotte has also said she'd veto any marijuana legalization bill, a stance she maintained last year even as federal rescheduling of cannabis advanced. In 2024, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) vetoed a similar greenhouse cultivation bill; the House had override votes, but the Senate fell short.