New Hampshire becomes the 19th state to legalize medical marijuana when Governor Maggie Hassan signs House Bill 573 into law on July 23, 2013.
The bill authorizes the use of therapeutic cannabis in New Hampshire, establishes a registry identification card system, allows for the registration of up to four non-profit alternative treatment centers in the state, and establishes an affirmative defense for qualified patients and designated caregivers with valid registry ID cards.
HB 573 also calls for the creation of a Therapeutic Use of Cannabis Advisory Council, which in five years will be required to “issue a formal opinion on whether the program should be continued or repealed.”