A bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire passed its first big test

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A bipartisan bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire passed its first big test Wednesday. On a 234-127 vote, the House voted to advance a legalization bill to its Ways and Means Committee. Supporters hope New Hampshire will join 21 other states, including the rest of New England, in legalizing the drug, though the bill still has a long way to go. The latest effort would put the state’s Liquor Commission in charge of regulating marijuana, with a 15 percent tax levied at the cultivation level. Most of the tax revenue would go toward reducing the state’s pension liability and the state’s education trust fund, with some set aside substance abuse prevention programs and police training.