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Ulcerative Colitis and cannabis in New Hampshire

The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

Not on the qualifying list
✗ No
LEGAL
Up to 2 oz of usable ca…
POSSESSION
$50/yr
STATE FEE
7–21 d
TIMELINE
Not on the qualifying list. The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

New Hampshire statute and program

The New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program is the operating authority for New Hampshire patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: New Hampshire RSA Chapter 126-X: Use of Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposes. The program portal is at New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program.

What the evidence says about cannabis and Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by continuous inflammation and ulceration of the colon and rectum. UC typically begins in the rectum and extends proximally to varying degrees. Common symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, urgency, tenesmus, fatigue, and weight loss. Disease severity ranges from limited ulcerative proctitis to pancolitis affecting the entire colon. Extra-intestinal manifestations include arthritis, uveitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and erythema nodosum. Long-standing UC increases colorectal cancer risk.

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Ulcerative Colitis page.

How to qualify in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program requires the following registration steps for a Ulcerative Colitis patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. Get certified by a New Hampshire-licensed provider. A New Hampshire-licensed physician, APRN, or physician assistant must complete the Provider Written Certification Form documenting a qualifying medical condition under RSA 126-X (PTSD, cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, chronic pain, severe nausea, or other enumerated conditions). The provider must have an established provider-patient relationship.
  2. Submit your application to the NH Therapeutic Cannabis Program. The patient mails or uploads the completed Patient Application Form, the Provider Written Certification, a copy of a New Hampshire driver license or state ID, and a passport-style photograph to the Therapeutic Cannabis Program at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
  3. Pay the $50 state registration fee. The annual registry identification card fee is $50, payable by check or money order to "Treasurer, State of New Hampshire." Caregiver registration is an additional $50 per caregiver and requires a criminal background check.
  4. Receive the card and purchase from an Alternative Treatment Center. Registry identification cards are issued within roughly 5 to 15 business days of complete application receipt. New Hampshire honors out-of-state medical cannabis cards under RSA 126-X for purchase at the four licensed Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs). Cards expire annually and require fresh provider certification at renewal.
State registration fee
$50
Physician visit (typical)
$200–$300
Certification to card
7–21 days
Out-of-state patients
Eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

For full New Hampshire registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the New Hampshire cannabis-laws page.

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Ulcerative Colitis for the New Hampshire medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 K51.90 or SNOMED-CT 64766004 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does New Hampshire list Ulcerative Colitis as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

No. New Hampshire's qualifying-condition list does not currently include Ulcerative Colitis, and the state's program does not give physicians open-ended discretion to add conditions outside the list. Patients with Ulcerative Colitis in New Hampshire have limited in-state pathways under the medical program as written. Options to verify and pursue include: petitioning the state regulator to add the condition (where the statute permits public petitions); consulting a physician about whether a co-occurring listed condition could support certification; or reviewing whether the state's program is undergoing legislative expansion. New Hampshire program rules change, so verify the current list with the regulator before drawing a final conclusion.

How do I get a New Hampshire medical marijuana card for Ulcerative Colitis?

Because New Hampshire does not currently list Ulcerative Colitis as a qualifying condition, a card for Ulcerative Colitis alone may not be obtainable in-state under the program rules as written. Step one is finding a physician licensed in New Hampshire who is registered with New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program and willing to evaluate Ulcerative Colitis cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. New Hampshire honors out-of-state medical cards under its reciprocity rules — uncommon, and worth verifying before relying on it. Verify the patient minimum age with the state program before applying. The authoritative source for the current process is the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis Program site at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/programs-services/health-care/therapeutic-cannabis-program; the state updates fees, forms, and physician registration rules periodically.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Ulcerative Colitis?

For Ulcerative Colitis, evidence is described as limited (a small number of supportive studies, often underpowered or focused on narrow symptom domains). The mmjnow condition page for Ulcerative Colitis lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Ulcerative Colitis should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Ulcerative Colitis and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Ulcerative Colitis; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. New Hampshire RSA Chapter 126-X: Use of Cannabis for Therapeutic Purposesaccessed May 16, 2026
  2. New Hampshire RSA §318-B:2-c: Decriminalization of Personal-Use Quantitiesaccessed May 16, 2026
  3. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services: Therapeutic Cannabis Programaccessed May 16, 2026
  4. Wikipedia: Cannabis in New Hampshireaccessed May 16, 2026
  5. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 16, 2026
  6. NIH NIDDK: Ulcerative Colitisaccessed May 16, 2026