New Hampshire Organization Surveys Farmers About Marijuana Cultivation As State Leaders Eye Legalization

Advocates have raised concerns that a state-run monopoly would force cannabis growers to accept the prices set by regulators.

By Hadley Barndollar, New Hampshire Bulletin

As a legislative commission probes the potential for a state-run cannabis sales model, an industry organization is surveying farmers and agricultural professionals to gauge interest in future cultivation opportunities.

New Hampshire has not yet legalized marijuana, but this past legislative session saw more movement than years past. For the first time, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said he would support a legalization model where the state controls sales and messaging. It would be the first retail cannabis market of its kind in the country, and the only one Sununu says he won’t veto.

The New Hampshire Cannabis Association wants to know where farmers and others working in agriculture would fall in that equation. Advocates have raised concerns that a monopoly would force cannabis growers in New Hampshire to accept the prices set by the state because it would be their only buyer, as it is illegal to sell and transport cannabis across state lines.

The NHCANN survey asks respondents if they agree with legalization and if they’re interested in becoming a licensed cannabis grower. It also asks for opinions on whether the state should be the only buyer and seller, or if licensed growers should be allowed to operate retail stores to sell their own products.

The commission charged with ironing out the fine print of a state-run sales model and drafting legislation for 2024 is comprised of 10 lawmakers and representatives from the attorney general’s office, New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, New Hampshire Bankers Association, New Hampshire Liquor Commission, American Civil Liberties Union, New Hampshire Medical Society and Communities for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth.

The survey will be open through the end of September and results will be presented to the newly formed commission, NHCANN said.

This story was first published by the New Hampshire Bulletin.

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