New Hampshire Lawmaker Wants to Make Medical Cannabis Affordable

Representative Ted Wright, a Republican representing the area of Sanbornville in New Hampshire, is ready to bring more affordable medical cannabis to patients. He was originally the main sponsor of a 2013 legislation that ended up leading to the New Hampshire cannabis program.

As is the case for many cannabis advocates, Wright was exposed to the healing benefits of cannabis through his wife’s battle with cancer. After realizing how cannabis helped both her appetite and her overall quality of life, he spread the word to fellow lawmakers and is now in the beginning stages of starting a nonprofit organization that aims to help raise funds for those who want access to medical cannabis but can’t currently afford it. “I’m not running for re-election,” Wright says. “I’m going to focus on this issue and our opiate crisis as an activist. I think the time that I’m putting into other things at the State House could be better used to focus on this issue.”

So far, only a few New Hampshire dispensaries have opened up for the residents who have been approved for the program. An estimated 1,159 patients have been registered, but the cannabis is reported to be priced at around $400 a gram—which is a difficult price to pay for medicine that is needed frequently. As a result, many people are still looking to the black market for cheaper access, but even just a little of assistance can help, “If we could give somebody half of their cost, that would go a long way to helping people,” Wright stated.

Wright also mentioned that he plans to inform local medical practitioners about cannabis and how it works too, in hopes to further education those who are unfamiliar with cannabis as a treatment.