Advocates of decriminalizing marijuana say they're hopeful lawmakers will finally send a bill to the governor this year.

The New Hampshire House approved a measure last week that would remove criminal penalties for possessing a half an ounce of marijuana or less.

The bill now goes to the State Senate, where proponents, such as Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project, say they're hoping to build on the support it received last year.

"It looked like something was going to pass, but it actually got tabled the last day of the session, and died on the table," Simon says. "The House is essentially giving them a do-over, by sending this bill back over and seeing if the Senate can work something out this year."

Even if the Senate approves the proposal, it would need the support of Governor Maggie Hassan, who threatened to veto last year's bill.

New Hampshire is the only state in New England where possession of any amount of marijuana remains a criminal offense.

http://nhpr.org/post/marijuana-decriminalization-heads-back-state-senate