This story was originally produced by The Keene Sentinel. NHPR is republishing it in partnership with the Granite State News Collaborative.
New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program is poised for expansion as the result of three new laws that recently went into effect, including one that allows medical providers to certify patients to use the drug for any debilitating condition or symptom.
Matt Simon, a spokesman for GraniteLeaf Cannabis, said Monday the expanded ability to certify people under House Bill 1278 could contribute to a moderate increase in the number of program participants.
“In theory, that expands the program quite a bit, but we’re all sort of waiting to see what will happen in practice,” he said. “Part of it is how many patients will actually see the new laws that have passed.”
GraniteLeaf Cannabis, which has a production facility in Peterborough, is one of three corporations approved by the state to grow and sell medical marijuana. Recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in New Hampshire, which is surrounded by states that have legalized the drug.
New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program is served by seven dispensaries.
GraniteLeaf Cannabis operates dispensaries in Chichester and Merrimack, Sanctuary ATC operates dispensaries in Conway and Plymouth, and Temescal Wellness operates dispensaries in Dover, Keene and Lebanon.
The program now serves about 15,000 people, whose doctors have certified them to receive the drug as a medical treatment.
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The state’s website for the program was recently updated to reflect the new laws, Simon said. It includes information about how to apply and other details.
Simon said providers who are knowledgeable about medical marijuana and have certified patients for the program include Monadnock Mind Body Medicine in Peterborough and Center State Wellness in Concord.
HB 1278 authorizes medical providers to certify adult patients for “any debilitating condition or symptom” if the provider believes the potential benefits of marijuana treatment outweigh the risks for the patient.
This new qualification is an alternative to a list of conditions or symptoms that also appear on the certification form the medical provider must fill out.
The other two recent laws that changed the program are HB 1349 and Senate Bill 357. The former establishes generalized anxiety disorder as a qualifying medical condition for receiving cannabis. The latter will enable additional medical providers, such as naturopathic doctors, to certify patients for the program.
“Many Granite Staters use cannabis for medical reasons but may not realize they can qualify for the program,” Simon said. “These new laws will help get more patients registered so they can receive legal protections and enjoy safe, legal access to our state’s dispensaries.”
Simon said expected growth in the program is tempered by challenges some people encounter. Many doctors simply will not certify patients for the program or work for medical groups that prohibit them from doing so, he said.
A $50 program entry fee and an application process also dissuade some people from participating, especially when they could have easy access to the drug elsewhere, including cannabis stores in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont, he said.
Jerry Knirk of Freedom is a retired medical doctor, former state representative and is the chairman of the N.H. Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board.
Knirk said people who are buying marijuana outside the program and self-medicating, for anxiety or pain for example, would benefit from receiving therapeutic cannabis.
“They would have a safer supply where they know the content and it would also be certified to be free of pesticides and heavy metals — so they’d have a safer source than just going out on the street and buying it,” he said.
Knirk also said a benefit of participating in the medical marijuana program is that the patient receives medication that has just enough potency to reduce symptoms.
“You start at a very low dose and then you increase the dose upward until you relieve the underlying disorder, but without the undesirable side effect of intoxication,” he said. “Getting intoxicated is not the goal.”
He gave as an example an older patient taking marijuana for pain.
“They don’t want to get stoned because if that happens they could fall over and break a hip,” he said. “They really want to have their faculties, they just want to get rid of the pain.”
Knirk also said patients in the program sometimes find benefit from using cannabis instead of potentially more dangerous drugs such as opioids.
The N.H. Legislature has consistently rejected attempts to legalize marijuana for recreational use, including earlier this year when a legalization bill passed the state Senate, but was rejected in the House.
