Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico: Medical Cannabis Program
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Medical Cannabis Program in New Mexico New Mexico's Medical Cannabis Program is currently accepting and approving applications for the production and distribution of cannabis for qualified patients. Under DOH supervision, licensed nonprofits can produce and distribute cannabis to qualified medical marijuana patients. DOH has approved five licensed producers, including NewMexiCann Natural Medicine. We will post more information on the producers as it becomes available. DOH is also continuing to register qualified patients in the program. There are currently over 1,400 qualified patients registered in New Mexico. If you are a registered patient and would like more information, check out the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Patients Group or email nmmcpg@gmail.com. Background Information New Mexico became the 12th state in the country to allow legal access to medical cannabis. The Drug Policy Alliance worked with hundreds of community advocates, patients, and community organizations over the last seven years to pass the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act in New Mexico. The bill passed the New Mexico State Legislature and was signed into law in the spring of 2007. The Department of Health finalized the rules for the Medical Cannabis Program in January 2009. Here are the final regulations for the Patient Identification Card Registry and the Production and Distribution System. One of the keystones of the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act is the development and implementation of a production and distribution system to help qualified patients access medical cannabis. Qualified patients can register to produce their own cannabis and nonprofit businesses interested in producing and distributing medical cannabis can apply for their producer's license. Applications are available at the Department of Health’s website. Who qualifies for the Medical Cannabis Program in NM? In order to qualify for the Medical Cannabis Program a patient must have one of the fourteen debilitating medical conditions covered under the Program.
If the patient does not have one of the specified medical conditions, he or she is not currently eligible for the Medical Cannabis Program in NM. What if a patient doesn’t have one of the fifteen qualifying conditions? Individuals can submit a petition to the DOH Medical Advisory Board to have a condition added to the list of debilitating medical conditions. The Medical Advisory Board will meet at least twice a year to conduct public hearings and evaluate petitions to possibly add debilitating medical conditions that could benefit from the medical use of cannabis. In January and April of 2009, the Medical Advisory Board held hearings to consider petitions for additional conditions submitted to the Program. The Board and DOH Secretary approved the addition of 7 new conditions in January and 1 new condition in April. For more information on how to submit a petition please call the Medical Cannabis Program Coordinator at (505) 827-2321. How does the program work? The law requires a patient to receive a recommendation for cannabis from his/her medical provider. The patient then applies to become a registered medical cannabis patient through the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH). The Program’s Medical Director considers each application and has 30 days to approve or deny the application. Upon approval, the patient receives a registry identification card from DOH within 5 days certifying that he/she is an approved medical cannabis patient. DOH, not the medical provider, issues the final approval for the use of medical cannabis. By registering in this way, the patient and the patient’s primary caregiver are assured protection under state law from possession charges. Currently, registered patients and their primary caregivers can possess 6 ounces of useable marijuana, 4 mature plants, and 12 seedlings. With a practitioner’s approval, patients can request to possess more than 6 ounces of useable cannabis; the Medical Advisory Board will then assess the person’s individual need and either approve or deny the request. Each patient can have one primary caregiver and a person can be the primary caregiver for up to four medical cannabis patients. Only medical providers who can already prescribe controlled substances can recommend medical cannabis to their patients. Please visit the New Mexico Department of Health’s Medical Cannabis Program website for information on the program, how to register, and to download an application. More Information Medical Marijuana in the 2007 Legislative Session
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