Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
As New Hampshire inches closer toward the launch of its medical marijuana program, officials are continuing to iron out rules that will affect how people can apply to legally possess the substance and how treatment centers handling therapeutic cannabis will have to operate.
Public hearings on changes to two sets of rules – one on the registry for the medical marijuana program and one on the alternative treatment centers – were held at the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday afternoon but only attracted about half a dozen people, none of whom weighed in with official testimony on the rules during the meetings.
People can still offer written comments on each set of rules until Sept. 11. The regulations are set to be discussed again at the Therapeutic Cannabis Advisory Council meeting Sept. 25 and the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules meeting Oct. 15.
In one of the more notable proposed rule changes, the state has offered up the possibility of opening a “pre-registration period” to allow prospective patients or caregivers to apply for a medical marijuana identification card starting Nov. 2.
If, for example, a patient or caregiver were stopped by law enforcement while in possession of medical marijuana, these identification cards would serve as certification that they have been given permission by the state to possess the substance.
The state’s alternative treatment centers aren’t on track to open until early 2016, but this would allow people to make sure they’re in the system ahead of time so that they can begin accessing medical marijuana as soon as possible.
The timing of when the state plans to start issuing identification cards has been a subject of contention as New Hampshire took its initial steps to implement its medical marijuana law. In February 2014, the attorney general’s office – weighing in on a request for guidance from the DHHS – advised that the state should hold off on issuing the identification cards “prior to the availability of a lawful source of cannabis in New Hampshire.” Potential patients and advocates took issue with that decision, however, because this would delay their ability to legally possess medical marijuana.
The proposed registry rule changes also include a section that limits the options for extracting cannabis to either “food- or water-based extraction methods.” Additionally, the state is now proposing that it will not begin accepting petitions to approve conditions not already approved in its medical marijuana law until January 2017.
The rule changes also address requirements for laboratory testing – to measure the presence of toxins, pesticides and other potential contaminants – of the cannabis products being harvested and produced by the facilities in New Hampshire.
Such testing is required to be conducted by laboratories located and licensed in New Hampshire, according to the rules. Rodney Bacon, the state’s chief of health facilities licensing, said several existing laboratories in the state have the ability to carry out that testing but still have to validate their testing procedures, a process that could take several weeks or months. Bascom also said that several out-of-state laboratories have inquired about the possibility of partnering with New Hampshire-based facilities to conduct the testing.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Hampshire Proposes ‘Pre-Registration Period’ For Medical Marijuana ID Cards
Author: Casey McDermott
Photo Credit: Ed Adrieski/The Associated Press
Website: NH news, sports, opinion & photos | Concord Monitor
Public hearings on changes to two sets of rules – one on the registry for the medical marijuana program and one on the alternative treatment centers – were held at the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday afternoon but only attracted about half a dozen people, none of whom weighed in with official testimony on the rules during the meetings.
People can still offer written comments on each set of rules until Sept. 11. The regulations are set to be discussed again at the Therapeutic Cannabis Advisory Council meeting Sept. 25 and the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules meeting Oct. 15.
In one of the more notable proposed rule changes, the state has offered up the possibility of opening a “pre-registration period” to allow prospective patients or caregivers to apply for a medical marijuana identification card starting Nov. 2.
If, for example, a patient or caregiver were stopped by law enforcement while in possession of medical marijuana, these identification cards would serve as certification that they have been given permission by the state to possess the substance.
The state’s alternative treatment centers aren’t on track to open until early 2016, but this would allow people to make sure they’re in the system ahead of time so that they can begin accessing medical marijuana as soon as possible.
The timing of when the state plans to start issuing identification cards has been a subject of contention as New Hampshire took its initial steps to implement its medical marijuana law. In February 2014, the attorney general’s office – weighing in on a request for guidance from the DHHS – advised that the state should hold off on issuing the identification cards “prior to the availability of a lawful source of cannabis in New Hampshire.” Potential patients and advocates took issue with that decision, however, because this would delay their ability to legally possess medical marijuana.
The proposed registry rule changes also include a section that limits the options for extracting cannabis to either “food- or water-based extraction methods.” Additionally, the state is now proposing that it will not begin accepting petitions to approve conditions not already approved in its medical marijuana law until January 2017.
The rule changes also address requirements for laboratory testing – to measure the presence of toxins, pesticides and other potential contaminants – of the cannabis products being harvested and produced by the facilities in New Hampshire.
Such testing is required to be conducted by laboratories located and licensed in New Hampshire, according to the rules. Rodney Bacon, the state’s chief of health facilities licensing, said several existing laboratories in the state have the ability to carry out that testing but still have to validate their testing procedures, a process that could take several weeks or months. Bascom also said that several out-of-state laboratories have inquired about the possibility of partnering with New Hampshire-based facilities to conduct the testing.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Hampshire Proposes ‘Pre-Registration Period’ For Medical Marijuana ID Cards
Author: Casey McDermott
Photo Credit: Ed Adrieski/The Associated Press
Website: NH news, sports, opinion & photos | Concord Monitor
