The New Hampshire medical marijuana bill [7] is headed for a Senate floor vote after passing out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on a 4-1 vote Thursday afternoon. The bill has already passed the House.
The bill would allow seriously ill patients to possess up to six marijuana plants, six seeds, and two ounces of marijuana. Patients must be certified by a physician as having a debilitating condition that would benefit from the use of marijuana.
Responding to concerns by Gov. John Lynch about how distribution would be controlled, the Senate committee decided to postpone settling distribution questions until after the bill is passed. The committee accepted an amendment that would create a panel to study "issues related to creating a statewide system for the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana." That panel would issue a report by May 1, 2010.
The measure is expected to have a Senate floor vote next week.