Tuesday August 17, 2021
News
As of August 16th, 2021 New Hampshire has passed House Bill 605, allowing out-of-state registered medical marijuana patients to purchase from New Hampshire Dispensaries.
There are some contingencies surrounding HB 605’s implementation, which are dependent on other laws, primarily Senate Bill 162 and Senate Bill 38, both of which pertain to other definition changes surrounding Alternative Treatment Centers (New Hampshire’s term for a dispensary).
The passing of either bill will still result in expanded reciprocity, and regardless of how those bills progress, the remaining provisions of HB 605 will go into effect October 9, 2021.
Who Can Purchase at an Alternative Treatment Center?
The HB 605 amends the definition of who may receive services from an Alternative Treatment Center to include “visiting qualifying patients.”
The law further defines a visiting qualifying patient as, “a person who is not a resident of New Hampshire, or who has been a resident of New Hampshire for fewer than 90 days, who has been issued a valid registry identification card, or its equivalent, under the laws of another state, district, territory, commonwealth, or insular possession of the United States, or under the laws of Canada, that allows, in the jurisdiction of issuance, that person to possess cannabis for therapeutic purpose.”
Medical patients from all over the U.S. and Canada will now be able to make purchases in New Hampshire. photo credit
Canada’s inclusion on the list of places offered reciprocity by the state is also a notable expansion, possibly the first in the US that acknowledges the medical cannabis system of another country.
Previously, New Hampshire offered partial protection for visiting patients. Out-of-state medical marijuana patients could possess and consume cannabis, but could not purchase it from an alternative care center, caregiver, or other medical cannabis patients.
House Bill 605 Restrictions
The new guidelines include a few restrictions for visiting patients. The law states, “A visiting qualifying patient shall not purchase cannabis at an alternative treatment center more than 3 times in a 12-month period.”
However, a visiting qualifying patient can purchase larger amounts if they obtain a statement from their physician that the patient has a state-recognized qualifying condition. HB 605 does not specify how much more a visiting patient can obtain.
You can find a complete list of qualifying conditions on our New Hampshire Marijuana Law page, or check with the state’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program.
Finally, HB 605 does not allow visiting patients to grow their own cannabis (nor can in-state medical patients for that matter).
Do you think more states should follow suit and expand their medical marijuana repciprocity?
