The state Senate on Thursday sent to interim study a bill that would allow people who qualify to receive medical marijuana due to their medical conditions to grow small amounts of their own cannabis.

House Bill 1476 would have allowed medical marijuana patients and caregivers to grow up to two mature plants and 12 seedlings at a time.

The vote to send the bill to interim study was initially 14-10. A reconsideration vote was then taken and the majority increased by two senators, to 16-8.

New Hampshire law allows for the use of medical marijuana for those with qualifying medical conditions, but does not allow home cultivation.

“Why would we not want to make it easier for those individuals who have access to these plants to grow them themselves, something which they can afford?” asked Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, D-Portsmouth.

But Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, urging interim study, said, “We have heard testimony from law enforcement that opening up ‘grow your own’ without proper controls is a significant issue in the way they go about doing their jobs.” [Read more at WMUR New Hampshire]