Friday, July 9, 2010

State Adds New Medical Marijuana Growers

The Health Department today announced six more licensed growers for the state medical marijuana program.

The new nonprofits are located in Harding, Doña Ana, Lea, Catron, Cibola and Bernalillo counties.

Catron County, for those not versed in New Mexico political demographics, probably is the most conservative county in the state.

The previously approved growers are in Santa Fe, Cibola and Bernalillo counties.

From the news release:
The Department of Health will provide patients with contact information for the newly licensed nonprofit producers in approximately six weeks. This will give the nonprofits time to set up their production facilities and get ready to respond to patient inquiries.

The Department approved the first nonprofit producer in March 2009 and four more in November 2009. Nonprofit producers are allowed to have 95 mature plants and seedlings and have an inventory of usable medical cannabis for patients. Patients can also apply to produce their own supply of medical cannabis and are allowed to have four mature plants and 12 seedlings.

There are 1,952 active medical cannabis patients, and 865 are licensed to produce their own supply of medical cannabis.

To be approved for the medical cannabis program, patients must have a physician certify that they have one of the 16 qualifying conditions that is debilitating and cannot be helped by standard treatments. Certain conditions require additional medical certifications or medical records detailing the condition.



Republican guberatorial candidate Susana Martinez has said he would get rid of the medical marijuana program. Denish supports the law.