NHCann Friday Wrap Up: Week of Oct 26, 2026

This week’s cannabis news hit close to home, from a DEA rule that could cost dispensary workers their jobs to a new look at which states may legalize next, and a bipartisan stand next door in Massachusetts. If you missed our posts on social, here’s what we shared, with links to the original reporting.

DEA Rule Puts Dispensary Workers With Past Records at Risk

Nicole Huff, CEO of Wildflower Medical Dispensary in Mississippi, shared DEA correspondence with Marijuana Moment showing how federal rescheduling registration can reach employees. Because two of her workers have past felony convictions, the agency told her the business would have to let them go, withdraw its application, seek a waiver and lose expedited processing, or face a hearing before an agency judge. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the policy “really problematic” and argued for expunging records for nonviolent offenses involving conduct that is now legal. As federal rules take shape, clear waiver timelines and fair treatment of workers with past records matter for any future New Hampshire program.

Source: Marijuana Moment. Shared by NHCann on Oct. 26.

Civil Rights Coalition Lobbies for Federal Legalization Bill

A federal lobbying disclosure filed Oct. 26 shows The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 240 national organizations, lobbied the U.S. Senate in support of S. 5022, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. The bill would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, set up federal regulation and taxation, and expunge certain past federal convictions. That goes further than a move to Schedule III. The bill is still in the Senate Finance Committee with no vote recorded, and the filing doesn’t say which offices were contacted. Federal clarity would matter for New Hampshire businesses on banking, taxes and interstate rules, so it’s worth asking our congressional delegation where they stand.

Source: The Marijuana Herald. Shared by NHCann on Oct. 27.

New Hampshire Ranked Among States Most Likely to Legalize Next

A new analysis from The Marijuana Herald lists New Hampshire, along with Pennsylvania and Hawaii, among the strongest candidates to legalize through the legislature. The House passed HB 186 by 208-135 in January, and the Senate voted 15-9 to table it in March. Public opinion is well ahead of the law: an April 2025 University of New Hampshire poll found 70% support for legalizing small amounts for personal use, including majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents. Because New Hampshire has no citizen ballot initiative, any change has to come through lawmakers and the governor.

Source: The Marijuana Herald. Shared by NHCann on Oct. 28.

Massachusetts Candidates From Both Parties Oppose Question 8

Next door, keeping legal cannabis has become a bipartisan position. Gov. Maura Healey (D) and Republican challenger Mike Minogue both told NBC 10 Boston they oppose Question 8, the Nov. 3 ballot measure that would repeal regulated adult-use sales and home cultivation, as reported by Marijuana Moment. Healey said “the cannabis industry is important,” and Minogue said that while he didn’t support legalization at first, he isn’t in favor of repealing it now. Recent polls cited in the report show most Massachusetts voters plan to vote no. New Hampshire is still the only New England state without a legal adult-use market.

Source: Marijuana Moment. Shared by NHCann on Oct. 29.

Congressman Introduces Bill to Fully Deschedule Marijuana

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced the Public Health and Research Reforms In Controlled Substances Act on Thursday, an 89-page bill that would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act entirely, as reported by Marijuana Moment. It would replace today’s five-schedule system with a framework that rates a drug’s risk and medical value separately, move core scheduling authority from the Justice Department and DEA to the Department of Health and Human Services, and end weight-based mandatory minimum sentences with resentencing. Groups including NORML, the Drug Policy Alliance, MAPS and Students for Sensible Drug Policy have endorsed it. The bill came late in the session, and Cohen is retiring at the end of the year, so passage is a long shot, but it goes further than the administration’s move to Schedule III.

Source: Marijuana Moment. Shared by NHCann on Oct. 30.

Get Involved

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. All 24 New Hampshire Senate seats and all 400 House seats are on the ballot. Check your registration with the NH Secretary of State, ask the candidates in your district where they stand on cannabis, and vote. Live free, and let’s legalize.