There are a few things that separate the New Hampshire medical cannabis program from other states. If you have thought about trying medical cannabis to improve symptom management, learn how to apply for your New Hampshire medical card online.
In October 2021, the New Hampshire House Criminal Justice Committee rejected all proposals to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state. The proposal included legalizing home-growing up to six (6) cannabis plants per household.
There are many opponents to the legalization of recreational cannabis in the state Senate and among law enforcement groups in New Hampshire. Several bills have successfully passed the New Hampshire House of Representatives, only to die in the Senate. There has never been an NH Governor that supported the legalization of adult-use. This makes New Hampshire the only eastern state to reject recreational cannabis.
Each state has a list of qualifying health conditions. A patient must have been formally diagnosed with one (or more than one) of the qualifying conditions in order to get a New Hampshire medical card.
The state of New Hampshire has expanded the qualifying health conditions and currently has many diagnoses that can help a patient become eligible. New Hampshire has more qualifying health conditions than many other states in fact.
A patient must have one of the following health conditions to apply for a New Hampshire medical card:
New Hampshire Stand Alone Qualifying Medical Conditions
There are also ‘stand-alone’ medical conditions defined by the state that may qualify a patient for medical cannabis. Those health conditions include:
Patients who are under the age of twenty-one years with Autism Spectrum Disorder require evaluation and referral from an adolescent psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician, or pediatric neurologist.
Before you schedule your appointment for your New Hampshire medical card health evaluation appointment, make sure that you have one of the qualifying health conditions. And that there is a note from your primary care provider (PCP) about your diagnosis within the past year. You will need to provide that information to your evaluating medical card practitioner.
There are some medical marijuana products that are available in New Hampshire that are not available in other states. If you are a patient with a medical card, you may visit a dispensary and browse an assortment of cannabis or cannabis-infused products for your wellness needs.
New Hampshire dispensaries may legally provide:
In order to purchase medical marijuana at a New Hampshire dispensary, you must bring photo identification with you (government-issued) and a valid medical card that is not expired.
Patients in New Hampshire must purchase cannabis from the ATC that they registered to use, during the medical card health evaluation process.
Residents of New Hampshire must be eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time that they apply for their medical card. Minors may also become registered patients in the NH medical marijuana program. However, a designated legal guardian over the age of twenty-one (21) is required for anyone under the age of eighteen years.
Yes. The first step is to get your physician recommendation letter, however. Once you have received that, you can complete the patient registration process online.
Visit the website for instructions for applying to the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program. There is a $50 application fee that is payable at the time you apply for your New Hampshire medical card.
Patients are required to scan and upload information to apply for their medical card online. The supporting documentation required for the NH MMJ card application includes one (1) of the following:
The $50 application fee can be made by check or money order and is payable to the “Treasurer, State of New Hampshire”. No proof of residency is required for medical card renewal in New Hampshire.
Yes. New Hampshire allows for the registration of minors with qualifying health conditions. Children must have a designated caregiver to provide assistance, and that legal guardian must also be registered with the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program. Pediatric physician referrals may be required for minors, depending on the health condition on the medical card application form. Ask your doctor for more information.
To be a caregiver in the NH Therapeutic Cannabis Program, you must not have a drug-related criminal record. You must be a parent or legal guardian for the minor, or for an independent or incapacitated adult patient. One caregiver in New Hampshire may register to assist up to five (5) qualifying patients with medical cannabis. A caregiver will have a registry ID card listing the names of the patients they provide assistance to.
The New Hampshire medical marijuana card is valid for one year. Before the card expires, patients are required to renew it. There are two steps to the renewal process. First, a patient must get a new letter of certification from a physician. This is the medical card health evaluation. The physician can sign an extension of your medical card (meaning you still have symptoms that may be helped by therapeutic cannabis).
The physician can decide that medical cannabis is no longer required for symptom management. The doctor can also decide if there are any changes to your health that may make medical marijuana less safe to use. Your referring physician also has the legal right to certify you for a shorter period of cannabis use. This happens, for example, when someone is undergoing surgery and receives a cannabis certification to temporarily assist with pain relief.
Once you receive your certification, there is a $50 annual renewal fee that must be paid. However, proof of residence and other documentation you originally provided when you got your medical card is not required for renewal.
Don’t worry if you lose your medical card in New Hampshire. It is easy to request a replacement card. You must fill out a change of information or replacement card form. The cost of your replacement card is $10.00.
Dispensaries in New Hampshire are called Alternative Treatment Centers, or ATCs. Each ATC location has a selection of assorted medical cannabis products, strains, and potencies for patients. And experienced budtenders who can provide expert suggestions, depending on your wellness and symptom management goals.
The New Hampshire House Bill 573 was finalized on June 18, 2014. Then-Governor Maggie Hassan signed it into law and legalized medical cannabis in New Hampshire on July 23, 2013.
Here are some of the other historical benchmarks on the way to legalizing medical marijuana in New Hampshire:
New Hampshire was the 19th state in America to legalize and launch a medical cannabis program. Today, state legislators remain staunchly opposed to the legalization of adult-use cannabis in NH.
January, 2014—House Bill 492 narrowly won a vote of 170 to 162, to legalize personal use amounts of up to 1 ounce or 28 grams in New Hampshire. This would apply to non-medical users over 21 years of age. HB 492 would also make production and sales by state-licensed businesses legal.
Source Web 2021: gencourt.state.nh.us
July 18, 2017—Cannabis is decriminalized in New Hampshire. The misdemeanor charges for cannabis are replaced with a first and second-time offense fine of $100. Third-time possession of cannabis offenses would carry a $300 civil fine. However, four offenses committed within a three-year period would still result in a misdemeanor charge.
Source Web 2021: norml.org
—-
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Therapeutic Cannabis Program
129 Pleasant Street, Brown Building
Concord, NH 03301-3857
Phone: (603) 271-9333
Email: TherapeuticCannabisProgram@dhhs.nh.gov
Website: New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program
The State of New Hampshire has a legalized medical marijuana program, which allows patients to receive a medical marijuana recommendation from a certified physician, and apply for a state-issued New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Card, permitting the patient to purchase marijuana for medicinal use, as per New Hampshire state guidelines.
Since the New Hampshire medical marijuana program is still changing their laws and new New Hampshire medical marijuana laws are being enacted on a regular basis, please be sure to visit our site frequently to get the most updated laws as it pertains to the New Hampshire medical marijuana program. Please click a corresponding link to find out more about New Hampshire’s Medical Marijuana Program. We have compiled the following New Hampshire medical marijuana index of information to serve as a medical library to our users for legal reference of New Hampshire’s laws, guidelines and program details regarding medical cannabis use in New Hampshire.
Please note: In order to become a legal medical marijuana patient you must first have a qualifying condition as outlined by the department of health services and/or department of justice. For a comprehensive list of New Hampshire’s qualifying medical marijuana conditions, please visit our qualifying conditions section located on the top of our menu under “legal states.”
Unlike many states with severely restrictive programs, medical marijuana in New Hampshire is available to people suffering from a wide range of conditions. Like other states with expanded programs, New Hampshire allows access to medicinal cannabis to patients with diseases such as:
Get comprehensive information by visiting our section on qualifying conditions in New Hampshire.
On Feb 8, 2017, a New Hampshire State Legislature committee approved a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis. If the bill passes, people caught with an ounce or less of pot (or 5 grams or less of hash) would face a $350 fine instead of jail time. Second offenders would be fined $500. Our section on New Hampshire’s marijuana laws provides more information.
The New Hampshire medical marijuana program has had a difficult time getting off the ground. One of the main reasons is that it has been hard for patients to obtain their medical cannabis cards. In many instances, they have to wait a month or more due to backlogs. Patients can submit a paper application to the Department of Health and Human Services. MarijuanaDoctors.com offers comprehensive information on how to obtain a New Hampshire medical marijuana card.
In February 2017, a bill was introduced in the New Hampshire State Legislature that would make recreational use of cannabis legal in the state.
As of this writing, New Hampshire was the only state in the New England region where people could be arrested for possessing small amounts of weed. However, even proponents were doubtful the bill would pass, believing leaders would be in favor of decriminalization of small amounts of weed but that would be about as far as they would go.
Check out our New Hampshire medical marijuana facts section to learn more.
Learn more about medical marijuana doctors in New Hampshire by checking out our listings in your city:
Learn more about dispensaries in New Hampshire by checking out our listings in your city:
Finally, a helpful & informative website! MarijuanaDoctors.com answered all of my medical marijuana questions and helped me schedule an appointment with an accredited doctor in my area.~Susan - Denver, CO
