New Hampshire legalized medical marijuana in 2013 when it passed House Bill 573. The law established a list of qualifying, albeit restrictive, conditions. Under the law, not only does a patient need a diagnosis of a qualifying condition, but they also have to exhibit severe symptoms of the debilitating condition. In addition, HB 573 requires dispensaries to be not-for-profit and set requirements for MMJ qualifications, as well as purchase and possession limits.
In August 2021, HB 605 added opioid use disorder as a qualifying condition for the state’s medical marijuana program and allowed out-of-state patients to access dispensaries. For out-of-state patients, they must have qualified for medical marijuana in their jurisdiction and show proof of a valid recommendation. It is up to the state Department of Health and Human Services to develop rules for dispensary to verify visiting patients’ eligibility.
In January of 2022, the NH House approved an adult-use cannabis legalization bill after similar legislation cleared the House in 2020, but ultimately stalled in the Senate.
In March of 2022, The New Hampshire House of Representatives approved a bill to legalize adult-use cannabis and conduct sales through state-run stores, allowing adults to possess up to three-fourths of an ounce of cannabis and cultivate up to six plants at home.
*Four vertically integrated licenses, each license is allowed to open two dispensaries for a total of eight dispensaries across the state. 80 cannabis plants, 160 seedlings, 80 ounces of usable cannabis, or six ounces of usable cannabis per qualifying patient.