Concord, NH: Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed legislation (House Bill 611) into law expanding medical cannabis access and creating an adult-use legalization task force.
The new law removes the requirement that those in severe pain may only access medical cannabis products as a treatment of last resort. Approximately 20,000 residents are registered in the state’s medical marijuana access program.
Separate provisions in the law establish an 18-member commission to study the feasibility of regulating adult-use cannabis sales in state-owned stores.
State law mandates that retail sales of wine and spirits take place exclusively in state-owned (a/k/a ABC) outlets. In May, Gov. Sununu for the first time voiced his support for the creation of a similar regulatory framework to govern the distribution of cannabis products to adults. The Governor had previously been an outspoken critic of legalization.
In accordance with the new law, “The commission shall issue a final report of its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, [and] the governor” prior to December 1, 2023.
Statewide polling compiled by the University of New Hampshire in May reported that 60 percent of residents favor the sale of adult-use marijuana products in state-operated stores.
Additional information on cannabis-specific legislation is available from NORML’s Take Action Center.