(The following letter is from Keenan Blum, our President and CEO.)
Dear Patients and Caregivers,
We really didn’t want to have to write this message, but now we must share some bad news from the legislature.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee amended HB 1633, replacing the entire bill with language that is extremely hostile to the Therapeutic Cannabis Program (TCP). The amendment that was adopted is nearly identical to the amendment we informed you about in March.
We are very concerned about this development, and we hope you will be, too.
For the last few years, we have been doing our best to promote sensible cannabis policy reforms in New Hampshire. As you may remember, last year we were part of the coalition that wrote and supported HB 639, which would have created a good legalization law based on lessons learned from other states.
Unfortunately, HB 639 was killed in a 10-14 vote last year because Gov. Chris Sununu opposed it and only one Republican senator voted in favor. The governor announced his support for “state-controlled” legalization on the day after HB 639 died, and a study commission was formed to study the concept.
The Dysfunctional Study Commission
Despite our concerns about this approach, we collaborated with other cannabis advocacy orgs, including the other ATCs, and tried to participate in the study process in good faith. We made every effort to work out a compromise with legislators that would preserve the TCP, exempt patients from taxes/fees, and improve access to cannabis and cannabis education for patients as well as adults 21 or older.
Sadly, our efforts were thwarted by a small number of legislators who simply refuse to believe in therapeutic cannabis. Senator Daryl Abbas, who chaired the study commission, rejected all of our suggestions that would have preserved the TCP and benefitted patients. He made it very clear to us that he wants to phase out our program and replace it over time.
We were relieved when the study commission declined to recommend the final draft legislation, and then we were surprised when Senator Abbas didn’t even introduce his bill for consideration. We proceeded to spend the first four months of 2024 working with the sponsors of another legalization bill, HB 1633. This bill was heavily compromised in the House in hopes of appeasing the governor, but the House stood firm on key issues relating to the TCP, patients, and ATCs.
Those four months of work on HB 1633 all went out the window last week. Now that it’s been amended in a manner that is hostile to patients’ interests, we are very concerned for the future of our program.
Features of HB 1633 as Amended
Here are some of the key features of the current bill:
- Patients would not be exempt from taxes/fees at franchise retail stores.
- Only 15 retail licenses, which could go to as few as 5 huge companies or wealthy individuals.
- A new criminal penalty would be created for 2nd offense public consumption.
- Home cultivation would remain a felony for patients and adults.
- Huge companies from any other state would have the same priority in licensing as ATCs.
- No integration or alignment with TCP (intended to kill the program over time).
Sadly, we know that medical cannabis programs in other states have suffered dramatic declines in the wake of adult-use legalization. Vermont and New Jersey are only the two most recent examples, with both programs experiencing steep declines in patient registrations and sales.
Vermont’s head cannabis regulator says the state’s medical program “is just in rapid decline” and warned that stand-alone medical dispensaries may need to close unless the legislature makes changes. Fortunately, at least in Vermont the legislature is working on solutions. In New Jersey, a patient recently told a reporter “I don’t know why they stopped caring about the medical program. They just did.”
We do not want this to be New Hampshire’s future. Please call your state senator’s office and ask them to stand up and support patients. You can find your state senator’s number by selecting your town here. If you’ve got a few extra minutes, please send your senator an email as well.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on possible amendments to HB 1633 this Wednesday or Thursday, so please don’t delay. Contact your senator today!
Working together, we believe we can preserve the TCP and help create a future for New Hampshire cannabis that will be beneficial for patients and adult consumers in our state.
Sincerely,
Keenan Blum
President and CEO, GraniteLeaf Cannabis
4 Responses
Hi there, here is a draft of a letter I want to send to my senator regarding HB1633
“Dear State Senator *****,
My name is ****** ********, of Nashua NH Ward 1. I’m retired by reason of disability caused by glaucoma destroying my eyesight. Pharmaceutical methods have failed to lower the intraocular pressure damaging my retina. A surgery was attempted on my good eye but failed and caused the loss of that eye. Only then did my surgeon acquiesce to therapeutic cannabis. That was 9 years ago. To this day, I depend on the use of therapeutic cannabis to preserve what is left of my eyesight.
HB1633 threatens the viability of the TCP program serving the patients like myself in the state of NH. The language as it stands would allow Big Marijuana to come to our state and take away the economic opportunities that should stay here with our residents instead of enriching large corporations at the expense of patients.
I can barely afford the products I buy, they are not covered by any insurance. Having to pay a 15% franchise fee when Big Marijuana pushes out the TCP is an added expense I can ill afford.
Similarly I was quite dismayed to hear of the redaction of the home grow provision from the previously approved version of the bill. Why must patients like myself be treated like criminals and threatened with loss of our rights to vote with a felony conviction?
HB1633 is a major disappointment now and I ask you not to support it in the current form. I’ve voted for you in the past, my support will be contingent upon the equitable resolution of this issue in favor of the patients of NH and not the benefit of shareholders in out of state corporations.”
Does this seem apropos?
Thank you, Daniel. This is a compelling and well-written email.
in the past you’ve provided form letters to send to our representatives that I’ve found quite helpful, as I tend to be rather blunt when it comes to this issue. Telling them to get their heads out of their butts and do the right thing doesn’t seem to be effective. I don’t know who this Abbas guy is, I’ve never seen his name on any of my ballots and I don’t even know if I have any opportunity to vote against them but if I could I surely would.
I think a score sheet of who’s voted for what (or against) and who made what changes would be helpful. The only way to get the change we need is to vote out the clowns who just don’t seem to get it. I can send all the letters I want but it would be nice to know that I’m not voting for some joker who keeps negating any gains we need. I hate those “vote for any five of the below” types. There can be as many as 40-50 different individuals on a ballot, granted not all are reps or senators but it’s a lot to keep track of. Knowing who’s the opponent of reasonable legislative change could give us names of people to not vote for.
The letter you drafted is much better than any form letter! We will certainly share details on which legislators stood up for good policy when election season rolls around.