Someday, it will be legal to produce sun-grown cannabis in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, GraniteLeaf and other N.H. alternative treatment centers (ATCs) are still only allowed to cultivate indoors, which is by far the most expensive way to grow cannabis. This pointless restriction is one of the major factors contributing to higher prices here in the Granite State.
You might think it would be a no-brainer for our state to allow cultivation in secure greenhouses, but some legislators don’t seem to care about reducing costs for patients. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 3-1 to recommend against passage of SB 468, which would simply allow each ATC to operate one greenhouse, subject to appropriate regulations.
Despite the committee’s recommendation, the bill will still receive a vote in the full Senate next week. If you’d like to help bring down therapeutic cannabis prices in N.H., please consider asking your state senator to support SB 468. You can find your senator’s contact information here.
Win or lose, we are grateful to Sen. Howard Pearl for sponsoring SB 468, and we’d also like to thank the bipartisan team of cosponsors: Sen. Donovan Fenton, Sen. Dan Innis, Sen. Tara Reardon, Rep. Yury Polozov, Rep. Lucy Weber, Rep. Mark McLean, and Rep. Karen Ebel.
Two Legalization Bills Die in House
Usually, adult-use legalization bills fare well in the N.H. House and get clobbered in the Senate. But not last week! The lower chamber took the unusual step of allowing 74 bills to die without a vote, including two cannabis bills:
- HB 1235 (Sullivan) would have legalized possession of cannabis for adults.
- CACR 19 (Wheeler) would have established a Constitutional right for adults to possess modest amounts of cannabis for personal use, if approved by voters in the November election.
As a result, cannabis legalization is now officially dead for 2026, and N.H. residents will not have an opportunity to vote on it in November.
Updates on Other Pending Legislation
Here is a list of other cannabis-related bills that have been considered this session and their current status:
- SB 400 (Gannon) would change a general requirement for the Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board (TCMOB) to an onerous and annual requirement, requiring them to review evidence for all qualifying medical conditions on an annual basis. PASSED SENATE WITH AMENDMENT – TCMOB WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW EVIDENCE EVERY TWO YEARS INSTEAD OF ANNUALLY. ADVANCED TO HOUSE.
- SB 461 (Fenton) would clarify the definition of hemp, limiting “total THC concentration” to .3%, and including “tetrahydrocannabinolic acid,” bringing these aspects of N.H. hemp policy into better alignment with the new federal policy. PASSED SENATE, ADVANCED TO HOUSE.
- SB 462 (Murphy) would attempt to establish a modest state-level second amendment protection for registered patients. RECOMMENDED FOR “INTERIM STUDY” BY SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
- SB 479 (Innis) would allow alternative treatment centers (ATCs) to operate as for-profit entities. VOTED “INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE” IN SENATE JUDICIARY, TABLED IN SENATE.
- SB 485 (Lang) would have authorized the Liquor Commission to regulate the sale of hemp-derived THC products, which would be limited to 15mg of THC per serving. RECOMMENDED FOR “INTERIM STUDY” BY SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
- SB 624 (Gannon) would prohibit the possession and sale of hemp-derived products containing more than .3% THC, establishing an enforcement mechanism through the Liquor Commission and establishing penalties for both sale and personal possession. PASSED SENATE, ADVANCED TO HOUSE.
- SB 650 (Rochefort) would enable ATCs to purchase CBD and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids from hemp companies for use in N.H. therapeutic cannabis products. RECOMMENDED FOR “INTERIM STUDY” BY SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
- HB 54 (Thomas) is identical to SB 479. PENDING IN SENATE JUDICIARY.
- HB 186 (Sullivan) would have legalized possession and limited home cultivation of cannabis for adults, and it would have established a regulated market for adult-use cannabis. TABLED IN SENATE.
- HB 651 (Fenton) would have legalized and regulated adult-use cannabis. TABLED IN SENATE.
- HB 1446 (Mannion) would attempt to establish robust state-level second amendment protections for registered patients. TABLED IN HOUSE.
Thank you for taking time to become informed about cannabis policy reform efforts in New Hampshire!
