When the legislative committee opened the public hearing for a bill that’d legalize cannabis in New Hampshire, no one stepped up to the microphone.
The bill’s sponsor, Kevin Verville, didn’t show up to introduce the legislation, nor did any members of the public. The only person to eventually speak was Manchester Democrat Alissandra Murray, who introduced the bill on Verville’s behalf.
The lack of attention and public interest may be indicative of the outlook for legal cannabis in the Legislature this year. During her campaign, Gov. Kelly Ayotte opposed legalizing the plant for any recreational use.
“I just don’t think the state has to be in that business,” she told the Concord Monitor in August. “It should not be in that business.”
As legalization falls flat, some advocates are instead focusing their efforts on the state’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program, which allows patients with qualifying conditions who are certified by medical providers to access medical marijuana from state-approved nonprofit manufacturers. It’s the only way to legally purchase or consume cannabis in New Hampshire, which is the last state in New England that prohibits recreational sales and use.
Matt Simon, who lobbies for cannabis legislation on behalf of one of the state’s manufacturers, GraniteLeaf Cannabis, said he’s hopeful that House Bill 53 will see some action.
The bill would allow patients or their caregivers, when certified by the state, to grow their own cannabis.
Ayotte spokesman John Corbett didn’t reveal the governor’s position on allowing patients to grow their own plants, only said that she doesn’t support recreational marijuana legalization and that she’d consider any bill that makes it to her desk.
Proponents of the bill say that with so few places to get cannabis in New Hampshire, some patients have to drive long distances to acquire it and would benefit from being able to grow their own strains of the plant since variations can have different effects.
Those who oppose it argue that it’s not secure enough and difficult to enforce due to privacy. Sue Homola, a former state representative who now advocates for the state’s chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said because the state isn’t required to disclose the names of people on the approved patient list, law enforcement won’t be able to effectively enforce it.
She recognizes the difficulty of travel and high costs for patients but said the state doesn’t have the “bandwidth” to execute the law.
The bill would limit how much a patient or caregiver can grow at once: three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings. They couldn’t produce more than eight ounces and would need to grow it at their own residence, disclose where they’re cultivating it and keep it enclosed, locked and out of public view.
Manufacturers like GraniteLeaf Cannabis would also be allowed to sell seedlings to patients. However, Simon doesn’t expect it’ll expand their bottom line.
After trying to pass this bill for 18 years, he said “homegrow” legislation typically succeeds in the House. It’s passed 11 times since 2009 but usually dies in the Senate. Only twice has the Senate approved the bill, and it was vetoed both times.
