QUALIFYING PATIENTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

You must be a current New Hampshire resident to be eligible and have written certification from a medical provider with whom you have had an ongoing patient-provider relationship for at least three months (subject to certain limited exceptions). In November 2015 pre-registration began which allows patients to submit applications and be approved or rejected without receiving their registration card until after the opening of that applicant's selected Alternative treatment center (ATC). In addition to the form provided by the DHHS the application must include:

  • The Written Certification for the Therapeutic Use of Cannabis form completed by a physician,
  • a digital photograph of your face face for the card,
  • a $50 check or money order, and;
  • a copy of a valid form of ID establishing New Hampshire residency.

The registry ID cards will contain your name, address and birth date; a passport-sized photo; a random 10-digit registration number; and the identification of the designated Alternative Treatment Center from which you will obtain your medicine.

The application fee for designated caregivers has been removed. The replacement registry ID card fee is now $10.

Patient Application Form

Minor Patient Application Form

Caregiver Application Form

Eligible conditions:

If you are diagnosed with one of the following conditions, you may be eligible for physician certification as a patient in New Hampshire:

  • Cancer,
  • glaucoma,
  • positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),
  • acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS),
  • hepatitis C
  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease),
  • muscular dystrophy,
  • Crohn's disease,
  • multiple sclerosis,
  • chronic pancreatitis,
  • spinal cord injury or disease,
  • traumatic brain injury,
  • epilepsy,
  • lupus,
  • Parkinson's disease,
  • ulcerative colitis,
  • Alzheimer's disease,
  • moderate to severe chronic pain
  • severe pain that has not responded to prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects,
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,
  • Moderate or severe PTSD, or
  • one or more injuries that significantly interferes with daily activities as documented by the patient's physician.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Moderate to Severe Insomnia

Also qualifying are any severely debilitating or terminal medical conditions or their treatment that has produced at least one of the following:

  • elevated intraocular pressure,
  • cachexia,
  • chemotherapy-induced anorexia,
  • wasting syndrome,
  • agitation of Alzheimer's disease,
  • severe pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects,
  • constant or severe nausea,
  • moderate to severe vomiting,
  • seizures, or
  • severe, persistent muscle spasms.

Additionally, the department may include, on a case by case basis, any condition determined to be severely debilitating or terminal, based upon the written request of the patient's recommending physician.

Becoming a Patient as a Minor:

If you are under 18 years of age and are considering applying for an ID; you must designate a custodial parent or legal guardian who is responsible for your health care decisions. That person must submit the application on your behalf, as well as sign a written consent and agree to responsibility for the patient's acquisition and use of medical cannabis and submit written certifications from two medical providers, one of whom must be a pediatrician. Minor patients may have up to two designated caregivers. Designated caregivers applying for a registry ID must be at least 21 years of age.

Benefits of Being a Patient:

If you are arrested for cannabis possession in the state of New Hampshire, you will get an affirmative defense in court. You will be legally protected from discrimination due to cannabis use in child custody hearings. If you require an organ transplant you will not be turned away because of your cannabis use.

Becoming a Caregiver:

A patient may designate a single caregiver to assist with obtaining and using medical marijuana. If you wish to become a designated caregiver, you must be at least twenty-one (21) years old and cannot have a prior felony conviction. A registered caregiver with a valid registry ID card may assist with up to five (5) qualifying patients. If both the caregiver and qualifying patients live more than 50 miles from an "alternative treatment center" licensed to dispense medical cannabis, the designated caregiver may assist up to nine (9) patients. Caregivers' activities are limited to transporting medicine from licensed centers and assisting with administration.

Out-of-State Patients:

Non-resident patients who have a medical condition recognized under the Act and who are in possession of an out-of-state therapeutic cannabis IDs from are entitled to limited protection for possession of cannabis for the therapeutic purposes recognized under New Hampshire law. Such visiting qualifying patients are prohibited from purchasing cannabis from retail locations or a registered New Hampshire patient or caregiver, however.

Home Cultivation:

Personal cultivation is not permitted by the state of New Hampshire.

Cannabis Expungement:

In 2020, House Bill 399 went into effect. Anyone who was previously convicted of cannabis offenses involving three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis or less is now able to petition the court for annulment. Instructions for annulling personal possession charges are available online.

 

Medical cannabis patients can find additional resources here

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