New Hampshire was the first state in the USA to vote in favor of legitimizing cannabis for adult-use. However, N.H. still awaits the law to legalize recreational weed.
The following passages will elaborate on the marijuana and CBD laws of New Hampshire.
Marijuana in New Hampshire
The Granite State will sandstone your hopes to consume weed with a $100 fine, and possessing an ounce of the crop will land you in jail for a year. If an intent to distribution is established, even half an ounce is enough to incarcerate you for three years with a $25,000 fine. However, endeavors are in motion to change the state’s status as the Island of Prohibition.
In fact, a University of New Hampshire study revealed in 2017 that 68% of New Hampshirites are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. More significantly, in April 2019, New Hampshire’s House of Representatives passed House Bill 481 to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use cannabis. Now the bill awaits a Senate public hearing. The bill intends to tax marijuana 5% at the wholesale level and 9% on retail sales.
Medical Marijuana
New Hampshire got its medical cannabis program in 2013 when the then-Gov. Maggie Hassan signed House Bill 573 into law. Since then, numerous qualifying conditions are added to the roster. There are about 7,000 registered patients in New Hampshire, who contributed $14 million in 2018 medical sales. The projection for the year 2022 is $36 million.
While adult-use legalization is still some distance away, three cannabis bills are already filed. One deals with clearing court and criminal records, another proposes to add opiate addiction to the qualifying medical conditions, and the third would let registered patients grow their own cannabis. As of 2019, the Therapeutic Cannabis Program is governed by The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS).
CBD Oil Laws in New Hampshire
The House Bill 421 of 2015 authorized UNH – the University of New Hampshire – to grow industrial hemp for the sake of academic research. However, the bill didn’t provide any provisions for a statewide hemp program or production.
Although the signing of 2018 Farm Bill has completely excluded hemp from the list of controlled substances, it hasn’t legalized its nationwide cultivation. Instead, the bill empowers each U.S. state to govern hemp production, if it intends to do so. The state institution handling the hemp inquiries is the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food.
Conclusion
It is illegal to consume pot in the Granite State, and possessing an ounce will imprison you for a year. In April 2019, NH’s House of Representatives passed HB 481 to legalize, regulate, and tax adult-use marijuana. The state got its medical cannabis program in 2013. Today there are about 7,000 registered patients who contributed $14 million in 2018 medical sales. Lastly, the 2015 HB 421 authorized the University of New Hampshire to cultivate industrial hemp for the purpose of academic research. However, the bill didn’t provide any provisions for a statewide hemp program or production.
