Governor Hassan signed a bill Tuesday, making New Hampshire the 19th state to legalize the use of medicinal marijuana.

Hassan says the law breaks new ground by giving seriously ill patients what they need – medical marijuana from up to four state-authorized dispensaries.

“We’re really looking forward to getting them up and running as quickly as possible but also making sure again that we’re doing it the right way for New Hampshire and that we can prevent abuse, as well.”

Next up will be the creation of an advisory panel, which will oversee implementation of the law, addressing issues such as where those dispensaries will go and how they will be monitored.

It could be up to 18 months before the first dispensaries opens.

The final version of the bill underwent several changes before it got to Hassan’s desk.

The original version allowed patients who qualified for medicinal marijuana to grow their own.

But Hassan raised concerns about regulation, and it was removed.

Post-traumatic stress disorder was also removed as a qualifying condition.

Patients who do qualify will be allowed to possess up to two ounces.