Medical cannabis has been made available to treat anxiety for the first time in the state of New Hampshire, while a separate bill opening up the treatment for any symptom is making its was through the legislature.
Last week, New Hampshire’s Governor, Chris Sununu, signed House Bill 1349 into law meaning that clinicians will now be able to prescribe medical cannabis for ‘generalized anxiety disorder’ in the state.
As one of the few remaining US states which is yet to legalize cannabis for adult-use, having recently rejected a legalization bill, the move could work to bolster the state’s medical cannabis market.
According to the most recently released figures, the state had 13,000 registered medical cannabis patients in 2022.
Now that anxiety is set to be added to the list of conditions in 60 days time, alongside chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy and cancer, the door could open for thousands more patients to secure a prescription.
While the governor vetoed a bill that would enable licensed cannabis cultivators to open a second location, two more bills are in the works that would further expand the state’s medical cannabis industry.
House Bill 1278 would enable clinicians to prescribe cannabis for ‘any debilitating or terminal medical condition or symptom for which the potential benefits’ of medical cannabis would likely outweigh the health risks.
Furthermore, Senate Bill 357 would see any healthcare provider licenced to prescribe drugs and controlled substances to prescribe medical cannabis.
