As Veto Day Ends so does the 2024 Legislative Session. Let’s Talk About It.
Veto day 2024 is in the books. It was the final day for the House and Senate to over ride the Governor’s vetoes on bills from this session.
Let’s start with the successes. Below you will see a review from Graniteleaf of three bills that were passed in this session.
2024 WINS
HB1278 Sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas, HB1349 sponsored by Rep. Heath Howard and HB357 sponsored by Sen. Becky Whitley all relate to the medical industry and helped expand qualifying medical conditions, added anxiety order and expanded who may authorize providers that can certify patients.
Be sure to give Wendy, Heath and Becky heartfelt thanks for their effort and success on these very needed changes to New Hampshire law. (details below courtesy of Graniteleaf Cannabis)
In addition to those huge successes, state takeover HB1633 remained on the table in the House, effectively, finally killing the monstrosity it had become for 2024.
2024 LOSSES
Now on to the disappointing news. HB1581 would have allowed New Hampshire’s medical ATCs to expand into a second cultivation in a secure outdoor greenhouse.
The House, as it has done all year, voted overwhelmingly in favor of overturning the Governor’s veto 270 to 55 thereby sending it to the Senate.
The Senate summarily voted it down 14 to 9.
From the senate hearing…
Senator Jeb Bradley “The last bill we are dealing with deals with cannabis.”
People in the chamber (Senators, I’m assuming) ..audible laughs and a Boooooo!
Not even a second of comment or debate on the actual substance of the bill.
We’d be very interested to see which of our senators felt compelled to laugh, or even boo at a bill the House just voted for 270 to 55.
It simply speaks volumes at how the 2024 NH House aligns with the residents of the state when it comes to cannabis, yet the Senate is just so far away.
View it yourself by fast forwarding to 3 hours and ten minutes in the embedded video below.
Fast forward to 3:10 in the embedded Senate stream
GRANITELEAF CANNABIS PRESS RELEASE
N.H. Therapeutic Cannabis Advocates Applaud Enactment of Legislation Expanding Access to Program
The Therapeutic Cannabis Program has updated its applications and forms to reflect passage of HB 1278, which allows medical providers to certify patients for “any debilitating condition or symptom,” and two other recent improvements to the state’s therapeutic cannabis law.
CONCORD: This morning, New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program (TCP) announced on its website that three new laws have been enacted. These new laws will make it easier for medical providers certify patients for the program. All applications and forms have been updated to reflect the changes made by HB 1278, HB 1349, and SB 357.
Sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas (D-Merrimack), HB 1278 authorizes New Hampshire medical providers to certify adult (21+) patients for “any debilitating condition or symptom” if the provider believes the potential benefits outweigh the risks for the patient. Previously, a provider was required to certify that a patient has a qualifying condition or symptom that has been specifically approved by the legislature. This change gives providers the additional option of recommending therapeutic cannabis in specific cases where they believe it is likely to be beneficial.
Sponsored by Rep. Heath Howard (D-Strafford), HB 1349 establishes generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying condition for the TCP. Many Granite Staters have reported using cannabis to treat anxiety, but they may not have previously been able to qualify for the TCP, so some have been obtaining their cannabis from illicit sources or from cannabis retail stores in neighboring states.
Sponsored by Sen. Becky Whitley (D-Hopkinton), SB 357 authorizes any New Hampshire medical provider who can prescribe drugs to humans to certify patients for therapeutic cannabis. This will enable additional some additional medical providers, such as naturopathic doctors, to certify patients. This is important because some large medical practices do not allow their providers to certify patients, and patients often struggle to find a provider who is knowledgeable about therapeutic cannabis.
All three bills were supported by the Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board (TCMOB), which includes ten medical providers representing a variety of clinical fields.
Leading advocates for the Therapeutic Cannabis Program applauded the legislature for passing these bills and the governor for signing them into law.
Rep. Wendy Thomas hailed the bills’ passage as an important step forward for the TCP. “We have an excellent Therapeutic Cannabis Program in New Hampshire, and these new laws will allow many more patients to benefit from it,” she said. “More patients will be able to access lab-tested cannabis products, and just as importantly, they will be able to receive education and support from the knowledgeable staff at our dispensaries.”
Rep. Heath Howard echoed his colleague’s praise for the bills’ passage. “These bills may not have generated many front page headlines this session, but their passage is a very important step forward,” he said. “We must continue to prioritize the needs of patients as New Hampshire contemplates the future of cannabis policy.”
Matt Simon, Director of Public and Government Relations for GraniteLeaf Cannabis, indicated that the state’s ATCs are eager to serve new patients. “Many Granite Staters use cannabis for medical reasons but may not realize they can qualify for the program,” he said. “These new laws will help get more patients registered so they can receive legal protections and enjoy safe, legal access to our state’s dispensaries.”
New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program is served by seven dispensaries. GraniteLeaf Cannabis operates dispensaries in Chichester and Merrimack, Sanctuary ATC operates dispensaries in Conway and Plymouth, and Temescal Wellness operates dispensaries in Dover, Keene, and Lebanon.
Patients who may wish to register for the program can find more information, including application materials and forms, at the Therapeutic Cannabis Program’s website.
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