Senate Judiciary Committee
Pete Mulvey 271-4063
HB 301, relative to cultivation locations for alternative treatment centers.
Hearing Date: April 15, 2025
Time Opened: 1:55 p.m. Time Closed: 2:16 p.m.
Members of the Committee Present: Senators Gannon, Abbas, McConkey, Altschiller and Reardon
Members of the Committee Absent : None
Bill Analysis: This bill allows additional cultivation centers to be considered for alternative treatment centers.
Sponsors:
Rep. Vail | Rep. H. Howard | Rep. Newell |
Rep. W. Thomas |
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Who supports the bill: 25 individuals signed in support of HB 301. Contact peter.mulvey@gc.nh.gov for further details.
Who opposes the bill: Five individuals signed in opposition to HB 301. Contact peter.mulvey@gc.nh.gov for further details.
Who is neutral on the bill: N/A
Summary of testimony:
Representative Suzanne Vail
Hillsborough – District 6
- Rep. Vail introduced HB 301, which enabled Alternative Treatment Centers to utilize an additional growing location, namely a green house, for cultivating therapeutic cannabis.
- Green houses in particular present energy cost savings and yield a greater quality product.
- Current law restricts each Alternative Treatment Center to one indoor grow house, reliant on artificial lighting and climate control.
- Additional growing locations would still be subject to the same Department of Health and Human Services oversight and would be subject to local regulations as well.
- Sen. Altschiller asked if an additional cultivation location had to be within a certain boundary of the ATC, or if the permitting process must be redone from scratch.
- Rep. Vail said that regardless of location, entirely new permitting, approval and application would be required for an additional location.
Dr. Jerry Knirk
Chair, Therapeutic Cannabis Medical Oversight Board
- HB 301 would allow ATCs to have greenhouses as cultivation locations.
- Cannabis grown indoors is costly, and HB 301 would enable reductions.
- Dr. Knirk emphasized that HB 301 passed on a voice vote in the House of Representatives.
- Indoor grow houses require significant light and heat, and therefor, electricity.
- A greenhouse would work with sunlight to provide heat and lighting naturally and at a low cost.
- Dr. Knirk said that Cannabis grew better in natural sunlight as compared to artificial lighting.
- The quality of the cannabinoids produced will improve, as will costs because consumers won’t have to purchase as much if each yield is greater in quality and quantity.
- Dr. Knirk maintained that any additional cultivation location will be subject to all the same rules for security in the existing cultivation location.
- Sen. Abbas asked Mr. Knirk how much costs would be reduced.
- Mr. Knirk said he didn’t have a precise number. Electricity was a significant expense.
- Sen. Abbas asked how much the price of the product would be reduced.
- Mr. Knirk said that would be downstream from production cost savings and efficiency improvements. An exact figure could not be provided.
Sue Homola
Smart Approaches to Marijuana
- Ms. Homola spoke in opposition and maintained that reducing patient costs was a compassionate goal.
- The alternative treatment centers were not at capacity. Ms. Homola attested that they can fully utilize their capacity to reduce costs.
- Ms. Homola wanted greater detail and figures on patient costs, ATC expenses, and revenues to get a better understanding of the therapeutic cannabis market.
- Each ATC gave away roughly half a million dollars in the preceding year for compassionate care discounts. Healthy profits would enable such generous discounts according to Ms. Homola.
- Line 8 was identified, which did not require the notification of law enforcement personnel, or drug addiction specialists when a new location is considered.
- Ms. Homola believed that providing notification to card holders, and no other stakeholders, would animate a large group to descend on a selectboard meeting to overwhelm local testimony.
Dr. Joe Hannon
- Dr. Hannon spoke in support of HB 301.
- HB 301 is a modest but important step in strengthening the alternative treatment program.
- Dr. Hannon believed the bill would improve patient access and affordability via the additional cultivation location.
- Increased yields would stabilize supply and lower costs for consumers.
- Greenhouse gases were sustainable and effective in cultivation while also lowering environmental impact, costs, and improving cannabinoid quality.
- HB 301 required collaboration and local input.
- Dr. Hannon recognized that anyone could theoretically stack a meeting for any purpose, which would not change how the proposal is ultimately decided.
- Dr. Hannon urged the committee to vote HB 301 ought to pass.
Rep. Heath Howard
Strafford – District 4
- Rep. Howard spoke in favor of HB 301.
- Rep. Howard identified himself as a patient with the therapeutic cannabis program.
- Therapeutic products were cheaper in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine.
- New Hampshire overcharged its patients compared to other regional market rates.
- HB 301 would be an appropriate use of basic market forces to mitigate costs according to Rep. Howard.
- The committee was encouraged to tour GraniteLeaf Cannabis’s facilities to gain a better understanding of the control and security of their operations.
Adam Schmidt
Vice President, J. Grimbalis Strategic Solutions
- Mr. Schmidt spoke on behalf of Mr. Matt Simon of GraniteLeaf Cannabis, who could not appear due to an accident on Interstate 93.
- Many of the provisions within HB 301 were permitted in neighboring states. Mr. Schmidt maintained on behalf of Mr. Simon that in-state ATCs deserved the same opportunities as neighboring out-of-state ATCs.
- GraniteLeaf Cannabis did not believe that HB 301 would necessarily increase production but rather improve their efficiency and lower costs.
- Mr. Schmidt added that the effort in the House of Representatives was to narrow HB 301 in relation to law enforcement’s concerns surrounding previous attempts at similar policies.
- Sen. Abbas asked if the ATCs had done any type of analysis on patient prices coming from HB 301 or other changes to growing.
- Mr. Schmidt said he would be happy to confer with Mr. Simon on the question.
PM
Date Hearing Report completed: April 22, 2025