Last week Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 1278, a bill that will give New Hampshire medical providers more flexibility to certify adult (21+) patients for the Therapeutic Cannabis Program. Sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas, HB 1278 will allow certifications for “any debilitating condition or symptom.” This new law will take effect on October 1.
To certify a patient under the new law, a N.H. medical provider will have to “attest to their clinical opinion” that the potential benefits would likely outweigh the risks for that patient.
HB 1278 also eliminates a barrier to access for patients who are visiting from another state or Canada. Currently, visiting patients may only purchase from a N.H. dispensary three times in a year unless they provide documentation that their medical condition would qualify under N.H. law. This “three visit rule” will be eliminated when the law takes effect on October 1.
For more on HB 1278, including quotes from Rep. Thomas, check out this article in Marijuana Moment.
Governor Has Now Acted on All Cannabis Bills
Gov. Sununu has now taken action on all four bills that reached his desk dealing with therapeutic cannabis. Here are the three bills he signed or vetoed previously:
- HB 1349 adds generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition. It will take effect on September 10, 2024.
- SB 357 allows therapeutic cannabis certifications by any N.H. medical provider who can prescribe drugs to humans. It will take effect on September 24, 2024.
- HB 1581 would potentially allow ATCs to cultivate cannabis in greenhouses (currently all cultivation must take place indoors). As reported by the Concord Monitor, this bill was vetoed by the governor. We hope the House and Senate will vote to override the veto.
If you have friends or family members who might qualify for therapeutic cannabis under one of these new laws, please share this news with them!
Cannaversary: Honoring Legislative Champions at 1pm
Are you planning to attend our Cannaversary Celebration on Saturday, August 10? We hope you can make it! In addition to the live music and other features we’ve mentioned previously, we are planning to honor a few of the state legislators who have fought to improve the Therapeutic Cannabis Program in 2024. We will be doing this at 1pm, so please join us at that time if you’d like to applaud our legislative champions!
