TV Schedule

Public hearing planned on medical marijuana

  2. goldenways
  3. related topics
New Mexicans will be able to have their say on proposed rules for the state's medical marijuana program.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday that it will hold a public hearing Sept. 8 in Santa Fe to take comments on regulations that would set up rules for patient identification cards and a regulated system for licensing, distributing and manufacturing medical marijuana.

The state law that took effect in July 2007 allows marijuana for pain or other symptoms of specified debilitating illnesses. The department has approved 169 people for medical marijuana, including 40 with spinal cord damage, 39 with HIV-AIDS, 36 with cancer, 28 with multiple sclerosis, 14 with epilepsy and 12 with glaucoma.

New Mexico has been careful in drafting its regulations because no other state has developed rules for a distribution and production system, Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil said.

The state proposes two types of licensed producers: a qualified patient who can produce a defined supply for personal use only and a nonprofit private entity operating a facility limited to 95 mature plants and seedlings at any time.

The health secretary will consider the needs of qualified patients and public safety in determining the number and location of licenses.
The regulations include measures to prevent unauthorized marijuana use by requiring criminal background checks for applicants, security measures for facilities and a warning that unauthorized use will be referred to state law enforcement.

The hearing also will take public comments on the proposed rules for the identification card program, the third hearing on that part of the program.

That plan would let patients possess six ounces of medical marijuana as a supply for three months. Patients with a license to produce could have four mature plants and 12 seedlings.

The department has made several changes in the draft proposal based on previous comments, including adding definitions for usable marijuana, adding an appeal and revising a monitoring system to be more respectful to patients.
goldenways

24 responses // Public hearing planned on medical marijuana

  • There are plenty of alternatives other than marijuana, I think most of them use it as an excuse to get stoned.
    mccain08
    3 responses to this
  • Plenty of other alternatives? Like something manufactured in a lab by a pharmaceutical company with political backing by our big business government? Like the prescription pills millions get addicted to?
    G_Major
    1 response to this
  • There are always people who are going to take advantage of every system but it seems that people who do not agree with medical marijuana dont know about it.
    manoforlife
  • Mind expansion and living without suffering are beneficial to all Human Beings.

    Compounds like psychedelics and canabanoids are doors slightly left ajar for all those seeking answers into the universal human experience who are willing to find the key and turn the knob.

    Expand your reality.

    Make life grand for all who are alive.
    Psychedelic
  • We are so stuck in the 50's
    schmedly
  • Genisis 1:29

    And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

    King James Bible
    Ras_Yuhanna
  • As we were made out of the earth, so we are maintained out of it.

    Herb is a holy sacrament for ritual, healing and peace bringing ceremony.

    Jah Bless.
    Ras_Yuhanna
    6 responses to this
  • It's only a matter of time before marijuana is legalized.
    DeliaTheArtist
    1 response to this
  • If California does it so will the rest of the US. When Cali banned the smoking of cigarrettes in restaurants the rest of the 49 states of America followed. All that high grade blowin outta Cali must be effecting its neighbors.
    RobbingTheHood
  • Can you imagine how many people are prisoned for canabis charges, is this fair practice for a plant that is consider to be herb?
    live066
  • hopefully this will be another step in the right direction
    jakerohde
  • Why cannabis is best ...3 reasons
    1 it works
    2 it's cheap
    3 zero Body count: Tylenol kills more people
    osagebowyer
  • You can't produce enough pesticide to destroy all the marijuana plants like you can humans with a genocide.
    frankyk

Add your response

Login/Registration is required to add a response.