After a heated and lengthy debate on the floor of the New Hampshire General Assembly, the lower chamber of New Hampshire’s legislature today voted 170 to 162 in favor of House Bill 492, which seeks to legalize under state law the personal use of up to one ounce of marijuana by persons 21 years of age or older and establish regulations for the retail production and sale of cannabis.

The historic vote makes the New Hampshire House the first state legislative chamber to ever vote in favor of regulating cannabis.

House Bill 492 had initially received a “Ought Not to Pass” report from the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. However, in New Hampshire legislative rules permit all House measures to receive floor votes by the full Assembly. This afternoon, House lawmakers debated the measure for more than three hours before voting 170 to 168 to accept the committee report. But this was just the beginning.

More: After Lengthy Floor Debate, New Hampshire General Assembly Approves Marijuana Legalization