Rockingham County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Rockingham County?

Yes, cannabis cultivation is legal in Rockingham County but only for medical use by virtue of New Hampshire Statute 126-X on the Use of Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes. This law established the Therapeutic Cannabis Program (TCP) in 2013. The TCP oversees all things related to medical marijuana.

Only Alternative Treatment Centers (ATC) certified by the TCP are allowed to cultivate and harvest medical cannabis. Patients and their caregivers are not allowed to grow medical cannabis.

ATCs are required to be non-profit organizations. They must pay a $3,000 application fee, a $20,000.00 registration fee, and annual fees to the TCP. They are subject to TCP inspection of their records, transactions, and operations. They are required to keep a monthly inventory of their medical cannabis plants, seedlings, and other cannabis forms.

ATCs are not allowed in residential districts or existing school zones. Facilities must be enclosed, with all activities and paraphernalia related to medical cannabis hidden from public view. Premises must be locked against unauthorized persons and protected from trespassing and theft by a security system and alarms. Only organic pesticides are allowed to be used in medical cannabis cultivation.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Rockingham County?

Yes, cannabis manufacturing is legal in Rockingham County but is limited to the manufacture of medical cannabis products by TCP-certified ATCs in accordance with New Hampshire Statute 126-X.

Certified ATCs are authorized to manufacture all types of cannabis-infused products such as oils, concentrates, tinctures, ointments, aerosols, products for smoking, and edible products. All products must undergo testing by an independent in-state laboratory licensed by the TCP to determine proper cannabinoid content and the absence of contaminants.

Cannabis products must be in plain and opaque packaging that is tamper-proof and childproof. The package must not resemble any other commercial product and must not look attractive to children.

Each cannabis product package must be labeled clearly with the following information:

• The cannabis product type
• The cannabis product’s net weight
• The complete list of ingredients contained in the cannabis product
• A warning about known allergens in the ingredients of the cannabis product
• The cannabis strain used
• The batch number of the cannabis used
• The cannabinoid profile of the cannabis used
• The cannabinoid content per serving of the cannabis product
• The number of servings in the cannabis product package
• Instructions on the proper use of the cannabis product, including the estimated time it takes effect
• The expiration date of the cannabis product
• Instructions on the proper storage of the cannabis product, including the need for refrigeration if applicable
• The ATC name, address, and telephone number

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Rockingham County?

Yes, cannabis retail is legal in Rockingham County but only for ATCs certified by the TCP to dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients who are registered medical marijuana cardholders as mandated by New Hampshire Statute 126-X.

ATCs are allowed to dispense cannabis and all forms of cannabis-infused products like oils, tinctures, concentrates, ointments, products for smoking, products for vaporization, aerosols, and edible products. They may also sell cannabis paraphernalia and educational materials. However, the use or consumption of medical cannabis is not allowed in ATC dispensary facilities or grounds.

An ATC is allowed to have only one dispensary. If the needs of patients demand it, the TCP may allow an ATC to have another dispensary only for selling purposes. The second location cannot be used for medical cannabis cultivation or manufacturing.

Each ATC must keep an updated database of qualified patients registered with the TCP, as well as their caregivers. This is used to verify the active status of qualified patients and caregivers and the directives of the patient’s certifying health provider. For patients who are minors, the ATC will only dispense medical cannabis to their caregivers.

The ATC will check the patient’s or caregiver’s medical marijuana card plus one of the following as proof of identification and age:

• Driver’s license
• Passport
• Government-issued ID card
• Military ID card

The dispensing limit for any patient is two ounces of usable cannabis every 10 days. To keep the patient’s records updated and prevent over-dispensing, the ATC must enter into the registry the following information for every purchase:

• The registry identification number of the patient or caregiver
• The date and time of purchase
• The quantity of cannabis purchased
• The cannabis strain purchased and its batch number
• The cannabis product type purchased
• The amount paid for the purchase
• The name of the ATC technician who processed the sale

The ATC must add the following information to the label of each cannabis or cannabis-infused item:

• The registry identification number of the qualified patient or caregiver
• The address of the qualified patient
• The date of the purchase

If the medical cannabis purchase is made by a caregiver, the ATC must contact the patient to confirm that the item was received. The exceptions are if the patient is unable to confirm due to being too young or incapacitated.

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Rockingham County?

Cannabis delivery is not legal in Rockingham County even to qualified patients who are registered medical marijuana cardholders. Patients and caregivers must go to the facility of any licensed ATC statewide to purchase medical cannabis.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Rockingham County

Residents of Rockingham County must be diagnosed to have either a qualifying stand-alone medical condition or a combination of one qualifying diagnosis and one qualifying symptom to be able to apply for a medical marijuana card.

The following are the qualifying stand-alone medical conditions:

• Moderate to severe post-traumatic stress disorder
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Moderate to severe chronic pain
• Severe pain not responding to prescribed medication or surgery or with treatment options that have serious side effects

The following are the qualifying diagnoses:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• Positive for human immunodeficiency virus
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Chronic pancreatitis
• Cancer
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Glaucoma
• Lupus
• Hepatitis C
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Muscular dystrophy
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord disease or injury
• Ulcerative colitis
• At least one injury or condition resulting in at least one qualifying symptom

The following are the qualifying symptoms:

• Cachexia
• Agitation from Alzheimer’s disease
• Anorexia from chemotherapy
• Increased intraocular pressure
• Severe or constant nausea
• Moderate to severe insomnia
• Seizures
• Moderate to severe vomiting
• Wasting syndrome
• Severe and persistent muscle spasms
• Severe pain unresponsive to surgery or prescribed medication or with treatment options accompanied by serious side effects

The patient must download the Written Certification to be completed by a health provider certifying the diagnosis. Qualified health providers are any of the following who are actively registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for prescribing U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and licensed in New Hampshire to prescribe medication to people:

• Physician
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
• Physician Assistant (PA), under a consenting supervising physician

A physician or APRN with the same qualifications but licensed in Vermont, Maine, or Massachusetts is also acceptable if primarily caring for the patient with regard to the qualifying medical condition.

The patient must then download and complete the Patient Application with the Caregiver Application if needed. If the patient is a minor, the Minor Patient Application must be used along with the Guardianship Application or Caregiver Application.

The application forms and the Written Certification from a health provider must be accompanied by a $50 money order or check for the application fee made out to the “Treasurer-State of NH” and any valid proof of state residency that contains the patient’s name, address, and a date. Acceptable are any of the following:

• Copy of New Hampshire State ID
• Copy of New Hampshire driver's license
• Copy of any bill dated within the previous six months

These must be mailed to the following address:

DHHS–TCP

29 Hazen Drive

Concord, NH 03301

Alternatively, the package may be dropped off at the dropbox at the front of the building or the dropbox by the reception lobby windows. Cash will not be accepted.

Within 10 days, the patient will receive a notification if the papers are incomplete. Otherwise, the medical marijuana card will be mailed to the patient or caregiver in three weeks.

The public may contact the following for more information:

Therapeutic Cannabis Program

Email: TCP@dhhs.nh.gov

Phone: (603) 271-9333 (Main Line)

Alternate Phone: (603) 271-9255

Fax: (603) 271-8134

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Rockingham County?

According to the 2020 Data Report of the TCP, there were 1,878 qualifying registered patients residing in Rockingham that year. However, New Hampshire Statute 126-X does not impose sales taxes on medical cannabis. Hence, the county did not earn tax revenues from them.

An ATC with a property exempted from taxes must instead pay the equivalent amount to the municipality where it is located. There are, however, no ATCs in Rockingham County for it to benefit from this requirement.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Rockingham County

The TCP was established in New Hampshire in 2013. On the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office reports that in 2012, there were 10 arrests for drug abuse violations in the county, of which six were for marijuana possession. In 2019, the latest available data, arrests for drug abuse violations increased to 26, of which six were for marijuana possession and three were for marijuana manufacturing or sales. There were four DUI arrests in 2012 and three in 2019.