How Do I Get a New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Card?
Contact a NH Medical Marijuana Doctor
Any qualified doctor, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse (ARNP) in New Hampshire can be contacted. Additionally, you can get in touch with a doctor or ARNP in Vermont, Massachusetts, or Maine (but not a PA). You can only get a legitimate Written Certification for marijuana therapy from these healthcare professionals.
As of this writing, the state’s medical marijuana statute does not mandate that doctors participate in the Program. Additionally, they are not compelled by law to give you written certification. The Program never recommends nor directs patients to any doctors who accept medical marijuana. As a result, you might need to test out a few doctors before finding one who works for you.
Schedule an MMJ Consultation
In contrast to other MMJ programs, New Hampshire requires a “provider-patient relationship” for a minimum of three months. The doctor must do a thorough evaluation of the applicant’s medical history and monitor their state of health during this time. A physical examination is part of this process. Unless you meet the criteria, it is unlikely that a doctor will suggest medical marijuana. You’ll also require evidence that you’ve explored a variety of alternative treatments for your condition.
If the qualifying circumstance started during the last three months, the three-month relationship rule is not applicable. It is also waived in cases when the certifying physician is in charge of the majority of the treatment for the qualifying medical condition.
Create an Account with the New Hampshire MMJ Program
Once you obtain a doctor’s permission, you can submit your NH medical marijuana application. Your physician will list you as a qualified patient with the state’s MMJ Program. At this point they will complete the Written Certification form and return it to you.
Note: Your provider is not allowed to send the certification form to the DHHS. Within 60 days of the certification date, patients must submit the form; otherwise, the application will be declared insufficient.
Submit Your Application and Payment to the Official NH Medical Marijuana Program
Send your application, along with your non-refundable deposit, to the following address by mail or in person:
Therapeutic Cannabis Program of the NH Department of Health and Human Services 29 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03301
Visit a NH Medical Marijuana Dispensary!
After receiving your MMJ card in the mail from the NH Department of Health and Human Services, you are free to purchase your medication from a licensed New Hampshire dispensary.
How to Apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in New Hampshire
- Speak with a NH medical marijuana physician. You can get in touch with any licensed doctor, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse (ARNP) in New Hampshire, or speak to a physician or an ARNP in Vermont, Massachusetts, or Maine.
- Have an MMJ consultation. New Hampshire’s MMJ program mandates a “provider-patient relationship” for a minimum of three months, in contrast to other MMJ programs. The applicant’s medical history will be carefully examined, and the doctor must keep track of the applicant’s health throughout this process.
- Register with the New Hampshire MMJ Program. An application for medical marijuana in New Hampshire can be submitted once you have a doctor’s approval. Your doctor will add you to the state’s MMJ Program as a qualifying patient, and they will also finish the Written Certification form.
- Apply with the official NH Medical Cannabis program. By mail or in person, deliver your completed application to the appropriate address (see above), together with your non-refundable deposit.
- Visit a NH medical marijuana dispensary. You can start buying meds from an authorized New Hampshire medical marijuana dispensary once you’ve received your MMJ card in the mail from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Medical Cannabis in New Hampshire: Patient Qualifying Conditions
In New Hampshire, you can only get clearance for medical cannabis if your condition is severe or life-threatening. One of the following New Hampshire medical marijuana card qualifying illnesses is required, according House Bill 573:
- HIV/AIDS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- PTSD
- Persistent pain
- Ehlers-Danlos disease
- CTE (traumatic brain injury)
- Illness or injury related to the spinal cord
- Skeletal dystrophy
- Pancreatitis
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s syndrome)
- Viral Hepatitis C
The list above is not all-inclusive. Page 6 of the New Hampshire MMJ Application Form contains further information on qualifying conditions.
Additional Guidelines for Medical Cannabis in New Hampshire
Caregiver Rules
Holders of a medicinal marijuana card in New Hampshire may nominate a caregiver. They have to submit specific paperwork to the program for approval, and consent to a criminal background check. The caregiver needs to be at least 21 years old. They’ll be given a Registry Identification Card that enables them to help an affiliated patient with marijuana use for medical purposes.
Medical Marijuana Card Renewal in New Hampshire
A New Hampshire medicinal marijuana card is good for 12 months. There is no unique renewal application form, and the process for renewing the card is the same as the initial application process. The Therapeutic Cannabis Program advises mailing application documents at least 30 days before the expiration of your card. The $50 program fee as well as the cost of your doctor’s visit must be paid.
A Brief History of Cannabis in New Hampshire
Rhode Island legalized marijuana for adult use in May 2022, leaving New Hampshire as the only state in New England that does not allow for recreational cannabis use. It appears that this will alter in due course, however, as according to recent polls nearly 75% of NH state residents support full legalization of marijuana.
Attempts to fully legalize the drug have so far failed. Governor Chris Sununu previously acknowledged that full legalization was inevitable, despite his veto of a bill allowing New Hampshire residents to cultivate marijuana at home. The latest attempt at recreational legalization, in May 2023, was rejected by state legislators.
Thus, a New Hampshire medical card remains the only method to legally acquire and use cannabis in the state.
New Hampshire Medical Marijuana Laws
In New Hampshire, possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of marijuana was made legal in July 2017. If found in possession of this amount, a $100 fine and a civil infraction was issued, as opposed to a criminal arrest. A second infraction carries the same penalty, but third offenses – or if you are discovered in possession of more than three-quarters of an ounce – are charged with a misdemeanor and may be punishable by a sentence of up to a year in jail.
When it comes to cannabis sales, NH is a tough state. Any amount sold is a felony, and even selling a quarter of an ounce can result in a three-year prison sentence. If you are found guilty of selling an ounce or more, you can spend up to seven years in prison.
Cannabis cultivation is viewed in the same way as marijuana possession. As a result, even growing one plant can result in criminal prosecution. Thus, if you want to buy and use marijuana legally, it makes sense to obtain an MMJ card in New Hampshire.
What Kind of Medical Cannabis Products Can I Buy in NH?
There are no restrictions to our knowledge regarding consumption methods. In New Hampshire dispensaries, customers commonly purchase flower, cannabis edibles and concentrates, lotions and topicals, and even vape devices.
How Much Medical Cannabis Can I Buy & Possess?
Within a 10-day window, an eligible patient may purchase a maximum of 2 oz of cannabis products. More than 2 oz cannot be in your possession at any given time. If you have a caregiver, the two of you are only allowed to have two ounces total in your possession at any given moment.
Where Can I Legally Purchase MMJ in New Hampshire?
When you first apply, you must choose an Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) based on where you live. Fill out a Change of Information/Lost Card form and send it to the Program if you want to change your ATC. As of this writing, the state has just three suppliers and seven dispensary locations combined:
- Prime Alternative Treatment Centers of NH (Merrimack, Chichester)
- Sanctuary ATC (Plymouth, Conway)
- Temescal Wellness (Dover, Lebanon, Keene)
Approved patients are able to shop at any location for the dispensary they are qualified for. For example if you opt to shop at Temescal Wellness and you live in Keene, you will also be able to purchase meds at the Dover and Lebanon locations.
Can I Take My Medical Cannabis to a Different State Outside New Hampshire?
People with MMJ cards from other states and Canada can purchase marijuana from dispensaries in New Hampshire. Visitors are only permitted to purchase marijuana from an alternative treatment facility in New Hampshire three times a year. Visiting patients can purchase a maximum of two ounces within any 10-day period.
If I Have an MMJ Card, Can I Grow Marijuana in New Hampshire?
Home cultivation is currently prohibited in New Hampshire, even for qualified MMJ patients. The New Hampshire Senate passed SB 420 in February 2020, and if this law had been approved, MMJ patients and their caregivers would have been able to grow cannabis in their own homes. A maximum of three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings were allowed under the measure. However, the New Hampshire House rejected SB 420 and subsequent legislation that would have allowed adults 21 and older to grow marijuana at home.
FAQ: Applying for an MMJ Card in New Hampshire
The Program promises to mail you the MMJ card within three weeks of receiving your application. The MMJ card will have your name, address, date of birth, photo, and your 10-digit NH medical cannabis registration number. If your application is incomplete, the Program tells you in writing within ten business days. You will have 30 days to provide the missing information. Your request will be considered closed and void if it is not submitted within six months. At this point, reapplying entails mailing everything again.
The New Hampshire Therapeutic Program allowed the use of telemedicine as a result of the 2020 pandemic. As a result, online consultations may be used if your initial application is not approved. (Summer 2023 UPDATE: Other than renewals by the same certifying provider, telemedicine is no longer allowed. The first time you apply for a NH MMJ card, you must go to the doctor physically and mail in your application).
A $50 non-refundable application fee is included in the price of a medicinal marijuana card in New Hampshire. If you don't notify the program of a name or address change, you risk a $100 fine. Although doctor's costs differ, you should prepare to spend up to $150 for an initial consultation. The next step is a $75 follow-up visit, which typically happens every three to six months. (Note: You cannot pay with a debit or credit card. You must instead mail a check or money order to the treasurer at the location we previously provided).