New Hampshire legislators and advocates are seeking to override Gov. Kelly Ayotte's (R) veto of SB 468, which would allow medical cannabis companies to grow marijuana in greenhouses to reduce costs for patients.
The bill passed both the Senate and House in voice votes this session. Ayotte vetoed it this month, stating: "I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state."
Sen. Howard Pearl (R), the bill's lead sponsor, said in an interview: "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."
Sen. Tara Reardon (D) said the veto amounts to "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," and expressed hope that Senate colleagues will vote to override.
Pearl and Reardon jointly authored an op-ed 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 states 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 sole witness to testify against SB 468 was a former state lawmaker who now chairs Smart Approaches to Marijuana NH.
Matt Simon, director of public and government relations at medical marijuana provider GraniteLeaf Cannabis, said: "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. Our team is just trying to improve efficiency so we can make therapeutic cannabis more affordable for patients."
Ayotte has separately threatened to veto any marijuana legalization bill and said last year her position would not change even as the federal government moved forward with rescheduling marijuana.
In 2024, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) vetoed a similar greenhouse cultivation bill; the House voted to override but the Senate lacked sufficient votes.
