By MATT SIMON

The first ID cards were issued in late 2015, and dispensaries opened in 2016 – today, as a series of 10-year anniversaries approach and advocates prepare for the inaugural N.H. Cannabis Conference on November 22, they reflect on a decade of progress.

CONCORD: Nearly ten years ago, New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program finally became operational. Although the law had passed in 2013, following many years of sustained advocacy efforts – including bills that were vetoed by the governor in 2009 and 2012 – the first patient did not receive legal protections until December 2015.

We are now approaching a series of 10-year anniversaries relating to the program’s initial launch. On this date ten years ago, a judge in Merrimack County Superior Court considered oral arguments in a lawsuit aimed at requiring the state to issue the first therapeutic cannabis ID card to Linda Horan, who was dying of cancer. The court ruled in favor of doing so less than two weeks later, on November 24, 2015, and the card was issued the following day.

As these and other key dates draw nearer, advocates are planning the first-ever New Hampshire Cannabis Conference for Saturday, November 22. The conference, which is intended to bring the Therapeutic Cannabis Program “out of the shadows and into the light,” will begin with a presentation honoring the patients who advocated for therapeutic cannabis between 2008-2015.

WHAT: Inaugural N.H. Cannabis Conference (NHCanna.org), hosted by Holistic Pros

WHEN: Saturday, November 22, from 9am to 4pm

WHERE: Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Ave., Concord, NH

Key panels and presentations will include the following:

• 9:15am to 10:15am: “Cannabis at the Capitol: Past, Present, and Future” – A presentation remembering and honoring the patients who advocated for therapeutic cannabis, followed by presentations about the Therapeutic Cannabis Program’s development, an examination of current policies, and considerations for the future.
• 10:30am to 11:30am: “What Can N.H. Learn from Other States?” – A panel discussion featuring regulators and experts from neighboring states.
• 2pm to 2:50pm: “Cannabis in Practice” – A panel featuring N.H. medical professionals who have certified patients for therapeutic cannabis.
• 3pm: “From Data to Dosing: Current Research to Advance Personalized Cannabis Care.” – Keynote presentation by Dr. Riley Kirk, author of the 2025 book Reefer Wellness.

The full conference agenda is availablehere.

Therapeutic Cannabis Implementation Timeline:

July 25, 2013 – HB 573 was signed into law and took effect immediately upon passage.

February 13, 2014 – In a memo, the Attorney General’s office advised the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that it “should not issue patient and caregiver registry identification cards prior to the availability of a lawful source of cannabis.” (Home cultivation had been removed from the bill prior to final passage, so possession remained a crime for patients.)

November 12, 2015 – Attorney Paul Twomey argued in Merrimack County Superior Court that the state should issue a card to his client, Linda Horan, a terminally ill cancer patient, so she could legally obtain medical cannabis from a dispensary in Maine.

November 24, 2015 – The court ordered DHHS to issue a registry ID card to Horan.

November 25, 2015 – DHHS issued the card to Horan.

December 18, 2015 – Horan purchased cannabis at a dispensary in Maine, accompanied by N.H. State Representative Renny Cushing.

February, 1, 2016 – Horan passed away at the age of 64.

April 30, 2016 – The first New Hampshire alternative treatment center (ATC) began serving patients.

Quotes from Therapeutic Cannabis Advocates:

“New Hampshire’s therapeutic cannabis journey is a story of persistent advocacy in the face of heartbreak, delays, and half-measures. Some patients who trekked to Concord for years to plead for relief did not live to see it come. Even after passage, the Live Free State had to be sued to start issuing ID cards, and patients waited nearly three years for medical cannabis access. Lawmakers have improved New Hampshire’s medical cannabis law in important ways, including by adding dispensing locations and significantly expanding who qualifies for therapeutic cannabis. But, in contrast to 25 of the 39 other medical cannabis states, patients remain criminals if they grow their own medicine.” –Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies, Marijuana Policy Project

“Linda Horan was an astonishingly brave woman who until her last breath sought to help others with every ounce of strength she possessed and who always exuded a contagious joy of life. She remains an inspiration to everyone who knew her.” –Paul Twomey, former N.H. House Legal Counsel

“When New Hampshire finally passed a medical cannabis law in 2013, this came as a great relief to patients who had been advocating in the legislature for several years. Previous bills had been vetoed in 2009 and 2012, resulting in considerable frustration for patients and their families. Sadly, the law’s implementation was delayed for more than two years, and many patients who testified at public hearings did not survive long enough to benefit. On the bright side, we have made considerable progress in the last decade. Although many challenges remain, it is now easier than ever to qualify for the program, which now serves more than 17,000 registered patients. The inaugural N.H. Cannabis Conference will be a great opportunity for advocates to reflect on the past, contemplate the present, and look forward into the future.” –Matt Simon, director of public and government relations, GraniteLeaf Cannabis