Dear Senator Sherman and Members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee:
On behalf of Sanctuary ATC, please accept this letter as a clarification to the
testimony offered on our behalf at yesterday’s public hearing on House Bill 364 (HB364). While Sanctuary ATC opposes some aspects of HB364, we support the right of qualifying patients to cultivate their own cannabis, and we would support an amended version of this bill. Sanctuary ATC is committed to supporting New Hampshire qualifying patients, and the passage of HB364 would clearly provide a benefit to some patients with regard to cost, access, and strain availability. Our concerns are based on some of the specifics of the legislation and not on the ability of qualifying New Hampshire patients to cultivate a limited amount of therapeutic cannabis. With the following concerns addressed by an amendment to HB364, Sanctuary ATC would fully support passage of the respective legislation: The bill introduces the terms “immature plants” and “mature plants.” We recommend that these terms be defined. Establishing these definitions would create a more defined structure for compliance and enforcement of the permitted plant counts.
Additionally, with respect to the cultivation location, Sanctuary ATC would
support legislation that limits cultivation to patients’ and caregivers’ residences only. Permitting the use of retail, commercial, or industrial zoned properties for cultivation would act against the intended purpose of the legislation. Sanctuary ATC 568 Tenney Mountain Highway Plymouth, NH 03264 www.sanctuaryatc.org
Lastly, the opportunity for diversion is increased when the ability to
cultivate at home is expanded. Allowing the gifting of cannabis further increases the opportunity for diversion. Specifically, allowing NH patients and caregivers to gift cannabis to out-of-state patients, which would be allowed under this legislation, invites a re-examination of the current law which prohibits the state’s Alternative Treatment Centers from serving visiting qualifying patients. Currently, ATCs can dispense only to in-state patients.
Sanctuary’s goal is to provide the citizens and legislators of New Hampshire
with information that will allow the state’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program and any ancillary legislation to continue to move forward. Sanctuary is committed to providing high-quality services to New Hampshire citizens. For the record, in 2018 Sanctuary’s discount policies were available to 57% of all patients, which resulted in $347,282 worth of price reductions. Sanctuary offers discounts for veterans, low income individuals, Medicaid recipients, and those on SSI and SSDI. Sanctuary will continue to strive to provide education and safe, high-quality products for the citizens of New Hampshire. In closing, we believe that the passage of HB364, with the above concerns addressed, would enhance the Therapeutic Cannabis Program and provide patients with the option to cultivate their own medicine as needed, while restricting cultivation from commercial spaces and limiting opportunities for diversion.
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