Politics
New Hampshire Lawmakers Override Governor’s Veto Of Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana Cultivation In Greenhouses
New Hampshire lawmakers have voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill to let medical cannabis companies grow marijuana in greenhouses.
The Senate on Wednesday voted 16-8 to reverse Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s (R) decision, and the House of Representatives did so by a vote of 257-44.
Supporters argue that the proposal will make cannabis more affordable and available for patients, though the governor said in a veto message in June that “I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state.”
The proposal, SB 468, will now become law despite her objections.
Sen. Tara Reardon (D), one of the cosponsors of the bill, said ahead of the Senate override vote that it will allow medical marijuana businesses to “operate more efficiently, resulting in more affordable prices for New Hampshire patients.”
“Patients are benefiting from the program, including many who were previously dependent on opioids for pain management. The one problem associated with a therapeutic cannabis program is affordability,” she said. “We’ve heard that therapeutic cannabis isn’t covered by insurance, so patients are paying out of pocket for this. And we’ve been hearing the same complaint that it’s too expensive for many, many years.”
“One obvious factor is that our our programs are allowed only to cultivate indoors with high intensity lighting, and this is by far the most expensive way to produce cannabis,” Reardon said. “At the same time, we know that cannabis businesses across New England states are free to cultivate using natural sunlight rather than expensive electric lights.”
Sen. William Gannon (R), who opposed the legislation, claimed that “there’s no evidence to support the greenhouse growing of marijuana,” arguing that the bill is “vague with no guardrails.”
“There’s no really guarantee here that the money made is not to be turned to profit,” he said. “We don’t know that they’re going to use it to lower the cost of the product.”
On the House side, Rep. Wayne MacDonald (R) noted that the a business requesting permission to cultivation in greenhouses would need to submit “plans to reduce energy costs and provide lower prices for registered qualifying patients” and get approval from regulators before proceeding.
“If the proposal is approved, it will enable the center to better serve those who benefit from cannabis for therapeutic use,” he said.
The legislation says that “each alternative treatment center registered under this section may request authorization to operate a greenhouse cultivation location, at the same or at a different location than its existing cultivation location, in order to reduce energy costs and provide lower prices for registered qualifying patients.”
Senators who sponsored the bill previously spoke to Marijuana Moment about their desire to enact it into law despite the governor’s veto.
“I disagree with the governor’s decision to veto SB 468,” Sen. Howard Pearl (R), the lead sponsor, said. “This bipartisan bill would have provided a practical way to lower costs for patients with serious medical conditions while maintaining the rigorous oversight and safeguards that have made New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program successful.”
“At a time when affordability remains a significant challenge for many families, we should be looking for responsible ways to expand access to treatment and ease financial burdens,” he said.
Reardon similarly told Marijuana Moment that was “disappointed” in the governor’s action, which she said will result in “denying cost-saving measures for more than 17,000 veterans and patients across New Hampshire who rely on medical cannabis as an important component of their physician-recommended care.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington, who is challenging Ayotte’s bid for reelection in November, has also criticized the governor for vetoing the marijuana bill.
“Come on, Kelly. Shouldn’t we be trying to make health care more affordable for Granite Staters, not less?” she said in a video posted to social media.
“This bill would have made medical cannabis more affordable and more accessible to Granite Staters who really need it, and she vetoed it,” Warmington said. “But honestly, this is what we’ve come to expect from Kelly Ayotte.”
The only person to testify against the bill this session was a former state lawmaker who now serves as chair of the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana NH.
Matt Simon, director of public and government relations at the medical marijuana provider GraniteLeaf Cannabis, told Marijuana Moment that the company “is relieved to see this greenhouse legislation finally become law.”
“We are doing the best we can to provide quality products at affordable prices, and we know that being able to use sunlight will help,” he said.
(Disclosure: Simon supports Marijuana Moment’s work via a monthly pledge on Patreon.)
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Ayotte has separately threatened to veto any marijuana legalization bill that reaches her desk.
The governor said last year that her position on the reform would not change even as the federal government moved forward with rescheduling the plant.
In 2024, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) vetoed a similar proposal to allow cannabis businesses to cultivate in greenhouses. The House had enough votes to override that action, but the Senate did not.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
