A House committee is scheduledto hear three bills on Thursday that propose changes to the state’s medical marijuana law.
One would prohibit the state’s four potential medical marijuana dispensaries from promoting their product.
Democrat Donna Schlachman of Exeter spearheaded last year’s effort to pass the state’s therapeutic cannabis law.
But now she’s concerned about the message it would send for the state’s alternative treatment centers to advertise the availability of medical marijuana directly to patients.
“I don’t want to see signage that says, ‘You need medical marijuana? Call this number.’ Again, it’s the idea of what we’re saying to people about the use of drugs. I totally obviously support the bill that I worked towards. But I don’t think we need to be marketing and advertising to consumers.”
Should her bill pass, dispensaries in violation would be guilty of a felony and would have their license revoked permanently.
Schlachman says she’s not aware of other states passing similar marketing restrictions on dispensaries.
Two other medical marijuana related bills go before the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee on Thursday.
One seeks to add the caregiver model to the state’s medical marijuana law, a home-grow option similar to what’s allowed in Maine and Vermont.
The other would add a member of the New Hampshire Association of the Chiefs of Police to the state’s medical marijuana advisory council.
