State Representatives Wendy Thomas (D), Heath Howard (D), and Jim Kofalt (R) have prefiled House Bill 53, a bipartisan measure that would access to medical marijuana by allowing qualifying patients to grow their own.

House Bill 53 would establish specific guidelines for home marijuana cultivation. Under the bill, qualifying patients and caregivers who register their cultivation location with the state would be permitted to grow up to three mature cannabis plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings. Cultivation must occur at the patient or caregiver’s residence, in a locked and enclosed space, and out of public view.

This effort to expand patient access comes alongside House Bill 75, a broader legalization measure prefiled this week by State Representative Kevin Verville (R). That bill seeks to legalize recreational marijuana for those 21 and older and includes provisions to annul past marijuana-related convictions and remove marijuana from the state’s controlled substances schedule.
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State Representative Kevin Verville (R) filed House Bill 75 today, which seeks to legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older in New Hampshire.

House Bill 75, which has been referred to the referred to the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, includes comprehensive provisions that would remove marijuana from the state’s controlled substances schedule, annul past cannabis-related convictions, and prohibit state and local law enforcement from enforcing federal cannabis laws. If passed, the legislation would keep underage possession and public use of marijuana illegal, while creating a pathway for licensed regulated marijuana use among adults.

This filing comes amid growing public support for marijuana legalization in the state. According to recent polling, 65% of New Hampshire residents back legalization for adult use. Earlier this year, a similar measure, House Bill 1633, passed the state Senate but was narrowly defeated in the House by a vote of 178-173.
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New Jersey’s cannabis market surpassed $1 billion in combined medicinal and recreational cannabis sales in 2024, marking a nearly 25% increase from the previous year’s total of $800,279,300 and underscoring the robust growth of the Garden State’s regulated cannabis industry.

On Saturday, December 21, sales hit the billion-dollar mark, ending the day at $1,004,826,946. Since the start of adult-use cannabis sales in April 2022, New Jersey’s cannabis market has generated more than $2 billion in total revenue. Sales have been bolstered by an expanding number of licensed dispensaries—now totaling more than 190 locations across the state—and a steadily increasing demand for safe, regulated cannabis products.

“We are proud of the remarkable growth achieved in 2024, which highlights the growing trust consumers have in New Jersey’s regulated cannabis market and the economic opportunities it provides for businesses of all sizes and classes,” said NJ-CRC Acting Executive Director Christopher Riggs. “This momentum sets a solid foundation for continued success in the years ahead.”
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed Assembly Bill 10196, which sought to allow licensed marijuana cultivators and processors the option to pay the state’s 9% excise tax annually instead of quarterly.

Introduced in May by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo, the bill passed the Assembly with a vote of 117 to 27 and the Senate with a vote of 52 to 9. It was sent to Governor Hochul’s desk on December 12 but was vetoed this week.

Under current law, cannabis growers and processors must file quarterly tax returns, with payments due on the 20th day of the month following each quarterly period. Assembly Bill 10196 proposed amending Section 495 of the state’s tax law to allow distributors to opt for annual electronic tax filings and payments. The change would have taken immediate effect upon enactment.
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The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has released a list of about 100 pesticide products that meet California’s criteria for legal use on cannabis.

Since cannabis is illegal under federal law, there are no pesticide products registered for use specifically on cannabis, notes the DPR in a press release. When cannabis was legalized in California, DPR identified criteria for legal pesticide use on cannabis cultivation in the state. A pesticide meets these criteria if the active ingredients found in the product is:
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New York Assembly Bill 1234, which includes marijuana in the legal definition of crops, livestock, and livestock products, has been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in both legislative chambers earlier this year, with a 58-3 vote in the Senate and a 141-3 vote in the Assembly. Filed by Assemblymember Donna Lupardo in January 2023 with 21 bipartisan cosponsors, the measure amends Section 301 of New York’s agriculture and markets law to formally recognize marijuana as an agricultural commodity. This aligns it with other crops like fruits, vegetables, and grains under state law.

The bill’s text, spanning just a single page, modifies existing legal language to include marijuana as defined by New York’s marijuana law. Advocates believe this change will provide clarity for farmers and stakeholders in the marijuana industry, granting them access to agricultural resources and protections available to other commodity producers, including giving them the same property tax benefits.
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