A key committee in the New Hampshire Senate has given approval to legislation that would allow medical marijuana for any condition a physician deems necessary.
Today, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed House Bill 1278 with a unanimous 5-0 vote. This measure has already been approved by the state’s full House of Representatives. It now needs to clear one more Senate committee and the full Senate before reaching Governor Chris Sununu’s desk.
Filed by State Representative Wendy Thomas, the proposal would repeal the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions and replace it with a provision stating that “For adults 21 years of age or older, any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits of using therapeutic cannabis would, in the provider’s clinical opinion, likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.”
The measure states that “In order to certify a patient under this category, a certifying provider shall include on the written certification the patient’s specific condition or symptom and attest to their clinical opinion.”
In essence, if enacted, this measure would allow any licensed physician to recommend medical marijuana for any condition, removing the need to adhere to a predefined list of qualifying conditions.
For the full text of House Bill 1278, click here.
Although recreational marijuana is not legal in New Hampshire, the state did make our list of the five states that could still legalize marijuana this year.
