Governor Signs Legislation Significantly Expands Availability of Medical Marijuana – NORML

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed two bills into law that increase patients’ ability to access medical cannabis products.

The first bill, SB 357, expands the range of health care professionals who can prescribe medical marijuana to include anyone who is “licensed to administer drugs to the public and has an active registration from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to administer controlled substances and is primarily responsible for patient care related to their qualifying illness.” .”

The second bill, HB 1278, provides discretion to health care providers to issue medical marijuana recommendations to any patient who would benefit from it – regardless of whether or not they suffer from a special state condition. Under the newly expanded law, which goes into effect in 60 days, doctors can recommend marijuana in any situation where they believe “the potential benefits of using medical marijuana, in the clinical opinion of the provider, may outweigh the potential health risks to the patient.” “

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano commended the bill’s passage. “Doctors already have the discretion to say any number of drugs, such as opioids, pose a greater risk to health than marijuana. It is appropriate that healthcare providers have the same freedom to make decisions related to medical cannabis as they do when they choose to prescribe other treatments for their patients. “

A similar law was adopted earlier this year in Delaware. Several other states, including California, Maine, and Virginia, provide doctors with similar visions.

More than 13,000 New Hampshire residents are currently enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana access program.

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