New Hampshire House Passes Bill Adding Total THC to Hemp Definition
- The New Hampshire House passed Senate Bill 461, which revises the state's hemp definition to include total THC concentration, counting THCA toward the 0.3% THC limit.
- The bill was approved by a voice vote following an adopted amendment and had earlier passed the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee unanimously.
- Sponsors of the measure include State Senator Donovan Fenton (D), with co-sponsors Senators Tara Reardon (D), Regina Birdsell (R), and Representative Wayne MacDonald (R).
- The bill defines hemp as Cannabis sativa L. with all parts and derivatives containing no more than 0.3% total THC on a dry weight basis, including both THC and THCA, and would take effect 60 days after passage.
The New Hampshire House passed legislation today that would revise the state’s hemp definition to include total THC concentration, which would count THCA toward the state’s 0.3% THC limit for hemp.
Senate Bill 461 was approved by the House in a voice vote after lawmakers adopted an amendment to the measure. The bill previously cleared the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee with a 13 to 0 vote.
The measure was filed by State Senator Donovan Fenton (D), with State Senator Tara Reardon (D), State Senator Regina Birdsell (R) and State Representative Wayne MacDonald (R) listed as sponsors.
Under the House-amended version, hemp would be defined as Cannabis sativa L. and any part of the plant, including seeds, derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of no more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis.
The bill states that total THC includes the sum of all THC, including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA). That means hemp products could not remain within the legal definition simply because much of their THC is present in acidic form before being converted through heat or processing.
The bill’s analysis states that the proposal “includes the total tetrahydrocannabinol concentration in the definition of hemp.”
If enacted, the measure would take effect 60 days after passage.