The 2023 legislative session has begun in Concord, and five bills dealing with therapeutic cannabis have already been introduced. So far, only one bill has been scheduled for a public hearing, so we will begin with HB 82.
Sponsored by Rep. Suzanne Vail, this bill seeks to establish employment protections for patients who are registered with the N.H. Therapeutic Cannabis Program. Specifically, it requires that “No employer shall deny employment to or terminate the employment of an individual solely because the individual is a qualified patient” and tests positive for cannabis.
There would be an exception for jobs “where drug screening tests are required for the safety of persons and property at the job site.” And employers would not be required to tolerate their employees “being impaired by cannabis products while at work.”
You can read the full text of HB 82 here:
This bill will be considered by the House Committee on Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services. The committee has scheduled a public hearing for Thursday, January 19, at 2:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to testify at the hearing. Alternately, you can email the committee members yourself and share your thoughts on HB 82.
In addition to HB 82, the House will soon consider several other bills relating to therapeutic and adult-use cannabis. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the near future!
2 Responses
When does the expiration of cards from 1 to 3 year go into effect?
This should be implemented very soon. If your renewal is coming up due, you may want to call the therapeutic cannabis program and seek clarification.