NH Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Finally Open

Today, WMUR News reported that NH's third medical marijuana dispensary, "Temescal Wellness", opened on Sunday, May 15 in Lebanon, NH and provided medical marijuana to about 20 patients that day.

According to the NH Department of Health and Human Services website, Temescal opened a dispensary in Dover on May 5, 2016. A provider called Sanctuary had opened the State's first dispensary in Plymouth on April 5, 2016. Patients in central and southern NH are still waiting for the fourth dispensary, operated by Prime ATC to open in Merrimack, NH.

Patients Waited Almost Three Years for Life-Saving Medicine

NH's patients in need of medicine had to wait almost three years for the promise of medical marijuana to become reality, as Governor Hassan had signed the bill authorizing medical marijuana on July 23, 2013. Unfortunately, the State was very slow to develop the regulatory apparatus and authorize the specific providers that would grow and dispense medical marijuana. The State did not begin distributing medical marijuana cards to patients until a court forced the State to do so in December, 2015, and did not approve a dispensary to begin operations until April, 2016.

NH's Medical Marijuana Law is Far Too Restrictive

The battle for patients' rights, and for the enactment of sensible and human medical marijuana policy, is far from over. NH's medical marijuana law is probably the most restrictive in the nation, authorizing prescriptions for marijuana only for a very narrow list of qualifying medical conditions, which are listed here.