New Hampshire just paved the way for autism and insomnia for the medical marijuana program

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) just signed law to add to the list of qualifying conditions for the state’s medical marijuana program.

This new law, which goes into effect July 21, will allow licensed physicians to recommend medicinal cannabis to adults with moderate to severe insomnia or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Doctors may also recommend minors with ASS Medical Pot, but only if they can confirm that the patient is not responding to conventional medications or treatments.

Rep. Suzanne Vail (D), main sponsor of the bill, told the state’s Health and Social Welfare Committee that medical marijuana can help treat insomnia without the risk of addiction or unwanted side effects. Some clinical studies have actually found that the occasional use of medicinal pot can help treat insomnia, but other studies have been less conclusive.

However, research on cannabis as a treatment for ASA is more promising. Researchers have been studying the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids as potential autism treatments for years with positive results. In April this year, a new Israeli study reported that whole plant cannabis extract with a CBD: THC ratio of 20: 1 was effective in reducing disruptive behavior in children with ASA.

Although this new law will give thousands of new patients access to medical marijuana, the Granite State is still lagging behind the rest of the Northeast in cannabis reform. New Hampshire decriminalized minor cannabis possession back in 2017, but lawmakers failed to come up with full adult legalization law. Nowadays, adult cannabis is completely legal in every state and country bordering New Hampshire-Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and Canada.

Governor Sununu also signed a second bill requiring medical cannabis dispensaries to provide information about the potential risks of cannabis use during pregnancy. “It is known that marijuana use is not safe during pregnancy or adolescence,” VADM state surgeon Jerome Adams wrote in the bill, the High Times reports. “Until the long-term effects are known, the safest choice for pregnant women and adolescents is not to use marijuana.”

Researchers found that twice as many pregnant women consumed weed in 2019 than in 2003, and a growing number of pharmacies are recommending weed for treating morning sickness and other symptoms. But while it is clear that more pregnant women get high, research into the potential risks of prenatal cannabis use is far from conclusive.

Some studies have shown that prenatal cannabis use could increase the risk of premature birth or impair cognitive development. However, an overly hyped study linking prenatal cannabis use to autism turned out to be seriously flawed, and two other recent studies found no evidence that children of cannabis users were at higher risk for birth defects. The jury clearly disagreed on this issue, so health officials continue to recommend women avoid cannabis during pregnancy.