Marijuana Laws
As recorded December 15, 2025 · not verified as current law. New Hampshire law
Cannabis laws in Durham follow New Hampshire’s state law. Municipal rules rarely change cannabis legality; jurisdiction law is what matters for travelers.
Recreational cannabis is illegal, though small amounts are decriminalized. Medical cannabis is available for qualifying patients. Cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal law. Legal risk exists for unauthorized possession or activities.
Quick facts
- Recreational: Illegal
- Medical: Legal for patients
- Possession: Up to ¾ oz decriminalized
- Buying/Selling: Illegal
- Tourists: Subject to same laws
Practical guidance
Avoid cross-border transport of cannabis products. Do not assume informal tolerance equals legality.
Law Enforcement
Durham felt friendly to smokers and heavily patrolled at the same time. College-town officers were alert to the smell in public. Both the town police and University of New Hampshire campus police had full enforcement powers, and locals warned that they would give you a hard time if you gave them a chance.
There was plenty of bravado about the cops not being too bright, including the suggestion that keeping your surname to yourself could keep you out of trouble. The more consistent advice was to stay clear of police and avoid smoking in public.
Where to Buy Marijuana
Students were the main connection. Breaking New Grounds downtown was the coffee-shop hangout. At night on weekends, the streets filled with people in varying states of inebriation, and the scene felt easy to find.
Around UNH, it was a case of following your nose at a party, Toucan Sam style. Asking strangers on the street had a sketchy reputation; dealers had been caught by undercover officers doing much the same thing.
Marijuana Prices
Prices varied between the older accounts:
- Schwag: US$25 for an eighth in one price list; US$20–35 in another.
- Mids or beasters: US$35–40 for an eighth, US$70–80 for a quarter, US$120–130 for a half ounce, and up to US$350 for an ounce.
- Dank or headies: US$45–50 for an eighth in one list; US$40–60 for an eighth or US$80–120 for a quarter in another.
- Amsterdam-quality hash: US$10–20 per gram when it turned up.
Types of Marijuana
Most bags were midgrade. Mexican schwag brick, Canadian brick, Dez Nugget and beasters all appeared, along with headies such as White Widow, sativa hybrids and Bubbleberry. Good connections could turn up flower rated among the best in New Hampshire.
Availability differed: one account found plenty of schwag, while another mostly saw it during serious shortages. Hash was rare and usually came in small amounts. Buying larger amounts of headies took a connection.
More Information
College Woods was worth a walk for its trails and quieter atmosphere. Other students generally minded their own business, and the running joke was that the cops stayed away because they couldn’t fit through their car doors.
When students left for winter break or summer, bud became harder to find. The end of summer could be especially grim, much like elsewhere in New England. Several large dealing busts in one year added to the nerves, along with unconfirmed rumours about monitored mobile calls and instant messages.