For the second year in a row, New Mexico's medical marijuana bill was denied a floor vote by the full House of Representatives. However, a tremendous outpouring of support for the bill from advocates and New Mexico voters made an enormous impact that will carry over into next year.

In an intense 30-day session that ended February 17, SB 258, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, moved quickly through the state Senate, but ran into difficulties in the House. In an unusual move, House Speaker Ben Lujan assigned the bill to the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee, which had never heard it before and was known to be hostile to medical marijuana. One representative stated that he believed the bill had been sent to that committee to kill it. After a long and emotional hearing, the committee voted 4-3 to table the bill.  But three days later, the bill’s supporters were successful in prompting the Speaker to get it moving again.

The Speaker pulled SB 258 out of the Agriculture and Water Resources Committee, and it passed its other assigned committee, the House Judiciary Committee, at 3:45 am the last morning of the session. However, the clock ran out at noon that day following a lengthy Republican filibuster, and the session ended before the bill could be called for a floor vote.  “It’s heartbreaking that one or two members of the House could prevent this bill from getting an up-or-down vote.  This legislation deserves a House floor vote, and I hope that next time we’ll get it,” said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.

Although this outcome means sick and dying patients in New Mexico must continue to wait for their medicine, there were several important victories this session. Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico and committed New Mexico activists convinced the governor to allow the bill to be considered in the first place. It then passed the Senate by a resoundingly decisive 34-6 margin. And the outreach made possible by the generous contributions of reformers all over the country allowed DPA to connect more than a thousand medical marijuana supporters in New Mexico with their representatives via telephone. This mobilized people who felt strongly but had not taken action, and sent a message to legislators that their constituents are watching this issue. 

This progress, along with the hard work of patient advocates and lobbyists who met with legislators, will keep momentum for medical marijuana going into the 2007 legislative session. There is also a chance, if the governor calls a special session to address some of the unfinished business from the 2006 session, that the medical marijuana bill could be considered again this year.