Politics
New Hampshire Lawmakers Push To Override Governor’s Veto Of Medical Marijuana Greenhouse Cultivation Bill
New Hampshire lawmakers and advocates are pushing to override the governor’s veto of a bill to let medical cannabis companies grow marijuana in greenhouses.
Supporters say the proposal will make cannabis more affordable and available for patients, and it passed the Senate and House of Representatives in voice votes this session—but Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) vetoed it this month.
“I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state,” the governor said.
But now, bipartisan lawmakers are pushing back, with some saying they plan to vote to override the governor’s action.
“I disagree with the governor’s decision to veto SB 468,” Sen. Howard Pearl (R), the lead sponsor of the legislation, told Marijuana Moment. “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.
Sen. Tara Reardon (D) similarly said she is “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.”
“I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in voting to override the veto and pass the bill into law,” she told Marijuana Moment.
The two lawmakers also recently authored an op-ed together in The Concord Monitor, arguing that New Hampshire’s medical cannabis program “is at a disadvantage compared to neighboring states, all of which allow greenhouse cultivation and benefit from lower prices.”
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.”
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.
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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.
“I understand that the governor doesn’t support legalization, but vetoing a few secure greenhouses? It’s hard to understand how this is even controversial,” Matt Simon, Matt Simon, director of public and government relations at the medical marijuana provider GraniteLeaf Cannabis, told Marijuana Moment. “Our team is just trying to improve efficiency so we can make therapeutic cannabis more affordable for patients.”
(Disclosure: Simon supports Marijuana Moment’s work via a monthly pledge on Patreon.)
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.
