New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program (TCP)

What is the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program?

Established in 2013 under RSA 126-X, the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program (TCP) manages a confidential registry of patients with certain debilitating conditions, their caregivers, and their certifying medical practitioners. The New Hampshire TCP makes provisions for caregivers and requires them (caregivers) and qualifying patients to obtain cannabis registry identification cards (medical marijuana cards). Without valid registry ID cards, patients and caregivers cannot purchase medical marijuana from state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries, also known as Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs). The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) oversees the state's medical marijuana program.

How Old to Join New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program?

An individual who is at least 18 years old can participate in the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program, provided they have a qualifying medical condition and reside in the state. Qualifying patients who are minors (under 18) can also join the program. However, their custodial parents or legal guardians must consent to permit patients' medical use of marijuana and must serve as their caregivers.

New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program Qualifying Conditions

• Stand-Alone Qualifying Medical Conditions

• Severe or moderate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Moderate to chronic pain

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Opioid use disorder, with associated signs of cravings or withdrawal

• Excruciating pain that fails to respond to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures or for which other treatment options caused severe side effects

• Combination of a Qualifying Symptom and a Qualifying Diagnosis

• Qualifying Diagnosis

  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Positive status for HIV
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Glaucoma
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Epilepsy
  • AIDS
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Lupus
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Cancer
  • Hepatitis C
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • One or more conditions or injuries that have resulted in one or more qualifying symptoms
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Spinal cord injury or disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

• Qualifying Symptoms

  • Moderate to severe vomiting
  • Seizures
  • Cachexia
  • Agitation of Alzheimer’s disease
  • Chemotherapy-induced anorexia
  • Wasting syndrome
  • Moderate to severe insomnia
  • Constant or severe nausea
  • Severe, persistent muscle spasms
  • Elevated intraocular pressure

What Practitioners are Eligible to Recommend the Use of Medical Cannabis?

• Physicians
• Doctors of Osteopathy (DOs)
• Medical Doctors (MDs)
• Physician Assistants (PAs), with the express consent of their supervising physicians
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)
• MDs, DOs, and APRNs licensed in Maine, Massachusetts, or Vermont

Must a Practitioner Obtain a License Before Issuing a Medical Card Recommendation?

Medical providers interested in issuing recommendations for New Hampshire cannabis registry ID cards must have active and valid licenses from the relevant state's professional board. Similarly, those from Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine must be duly licensed in their states.

Do Physicians Need to Manage Patients Before Recommending Them for the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program?

Yes. Part He-C 401.06(b)(1) of the TCP Registry Rules requires a medical provider to have a practitioner-patient relationship with a qualifying patient before certifying them for the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program. In other words, the provider must have been actively treating them for their qualifying condition before recommending cannabis treatment.

Do Physicians Have to Join the State’s Medical Marijuana Program/Registry to Recommend Medical Marijuana to Patients?

No. Medical providers are not required to register with the New Hampshire TCP as marijuana doctors before they can recommend qualifying patients for cannabis therapy.

Can a New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program Practitioner Use Telemedicine for Patient Assessment?

Medical providers licensed in New Hampshire can assess and certify their patients for medical cannabis treatment via telemedicine. However, those licensed in Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont must conduct in-person physical examinations of their patient before recommending them for the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program.

How to Find New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program Doctors

New Hampshire has no database of certifying medical providers for its Therapeutic Cannabis Program. However, qualifying patients can talk to their current physicians, PAs, or APRNs about their interest in the New Hampshire TCP and ask them for certification.

How to Apply for the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program

• Qualifying patient must discuss their interest in the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program with their medical provider
• After determining the patient's eligibility for cannabis therapy, the provider will complete a Written Certification Form and give it to the patient
• The patient and/or their caregiver must complete any of the applicable forms below:
• Patient Application Form
• Caregiver Application Form
• Guardian Patient Application Form (for adult patient and their caregiver)
• Minor Patient Application Form (for a patient who is a minor and their caregiver)
• The completed application forms/packet, provider's written certification, application fee, and all required documents should be mailed or submitted in person to the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program at:
  Department of Human and Health Services Therapeutic Cannabis Program 29 Hazen Drive, NH 03301
• Upon receipt, the TCP will review the application and process it. If the application is approved, the applicant will receive their New Hampshire cannabis registry identification card through mail within 3 weeks