New Hampshire’s Therapeutic Cannabis Program added more than 2,100 new patients last year, bringing the total registry to nearly 17,000. That increase of approximately 14.5% from the year prior is the largest since 2021, driven by changes to state law in 2024 that expanded eligibility criteria.
Under the law, people can now join the program at doctors’ discretion for any debilitating or terminal condition or symptom where the medical provider agrees benefits could outweigh risks, or with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder. More than 900 patients list anxiety as their qualifying condition. With 16,846 people registered, about 1.2% of the population are either certified patients or designated caregivers authorized to buy cannabis on behalf of a patient—close to one in every 84 Granite Staters. Data released by the state was collected in June 2025, and industry observers estimate roughly 1,000 more people have joined since then.
The Therapeutic Cannabis Program, established in 2013, remains the only way to lawfully consume marijuana in New Hampshire, as recreational use remains illegal. Patients require a doctor’s approval to join and receive a state-issued card that licenses them to buy from seven dispensaries across the state, operated by three producers: GraniteLeaf Cannabis, Sanctuary Medicinals and Temescal Wellness. Program demographics skew older, with nearly a quarter of patients between 55 and 65 years old and almost 70% over 45. Pain is far and away the most common condition that people aim to treat with cannabis. Despite the program’s growth, cost and accessibility remain challenges, with limited retail locations meaning patients in some areas must drive upwards of an hour to obtain their medicine.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://newspub.live/northeast/new-hampshire/new-hampshires-cannabis-program-sees-record-growth-valley-news/