Medical Marijuana in New Mexico.

[pamela]

I read recently that New Mexico has legalized medical marijuana. I couldn't find much info about it though. I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the program and how it works. Are there dispensaries? I've been here for a few months now and haven't seen any. I'm not a state resident so it's probably irrelevant anyway but I was just curious what's going on with it here.

I'm also wondering how Colorado's new laws will effect New Mexico, if they will crack down, for example, or if NM officials have bigger fish to fry. I've been watching Albuquerque news a lot lately and I've never seen them discuss this topic so I was just curious what the situation is like around here. Are there any local activist groups working to legalize it like Colorado? It's hard to get a good feel for the politics around here. It seemed very conservative around Roswell and Hobbs but the area I'm in now, around Las Vegas, seems more progressive.

I wish every state would legalize it. I actually use to be a therapist at an addiction program and I can honestly say I never had a client who had serious problems with pot other than legal problems. I'm probably preaching to the choir but I think the real crime is criminalizing a substance which is so helpful to people for so many things.

[Warpy]

1. It's extremely difficult to get a prescription for it

It's like the state insurance program, you pretty much have to be in imminent danger of death to qualify.

They just haven't caught up with latest research and the lege has too many Republicans and conservative Democrats who are desperately afraid somebody will use it for fun, so they make it impossible for sick people to get.

[Politicalboi]

2. Is that just in New Mexico?

Out here in Ca, you can get it for not being able to sleep at night. I should know.

[Warpy]

3. The Mrs. Prunellas of both sexes are appalled by the "abuse"

of the California system and have pledged that no one in New Mexico will ever have any legal fun smoking pot.

If they tried to liberalize it, our Texas teabagger governor would veto the bill.

[pamela]

4. That's the impression I got, too.

I read a little bit about it and it seemed like it was a pretty complicated program and not terribly accessible to people in need unless they jump through a lot of hoops. Folks dealing with cancer, MS, depression, etc., probably don't have the energy to go through all of that. It's really sad.

[Warpy]

5. It's all because a bunch of moralists think they know better than we do

how we're feeling and what we might need.

[Voice for Peace]

6. I haven't had that impression at all -- the process is simple & straightforward

but you do need medical backup for whatever ails you,
and if it falls under the qualifying conditions, it takes
about a month for the paperwork to be processed by
the health dept and mmj card issue.

Qualification for PTSD was recently challenged here,
but for the time being it's still covered -- although
they have a new requirement that PTSD card-
carriers must have a medical assessment every
6 months.

I've talked with some of the people at the various
'dispensaries' about the legal issues, eg what's
been happening in California. The program here
is apparently being tightly controlled, you're
right. And they are fighting to be allowed to increase
grow limits, so patients don't run out of medicine.

If people have an authentic qualifying condition
there are doctors who will help them obtain
medical mj cards. You can also get a license to
grow your own.

There is a lot of local support, I think, and
people working diligently to keep it legal and
safe,and keep patients supplied and aware
of their rights. I have been very happy and
impressed with the people who are growing
and selling. Good people, good medicine.

[pamela]

7. Wow, thanks for all the good info.

I feel like kind of an asshole now, talking bad about something I don't even know about. It sounds like a good program. I have two (at least) qualifying conditions but I read you have to be a resident of New Mexico. We're not really residents of any state but we use Texas as our address because they had the best mail forwarding service and they don't tax my husbands retirement. We might reconsider that.

Thanks for answering my questions. We're spending so much time in New Mexico these days, it's starting to feel like home. I like learning things about it from people who actually live here. The only bad thing about this lifestyle is feeling like a tourist all the time. I broke a tooth today so I think I'm about to learn more than I want to about Albuquerque dentists.

Thanks again, Voice For Peace. You, and a few of the other New Mexico DUers, have been so nice to answer all my New Mexico questions and I really appreciate it.

[Warpy]

11. By making sure only the sickest of the sick will get it

they've only made it impossible for anyone to get.

Three cheers for the fucking Puritans! By making it impossible to get, they're ensuring the continued health of the black market and the violent gangs that run it.

[Cannadvldog]

10. imminent danger of death to qualify???

I have Multiple sclerosis and from the research ive done... its not that you need to have "imminent danger of death to qualify." Its you need to have actual documentation i.e. last 3x doc notes that you have a legitimate reason for its use. I for one, have seen the abuse of the program that has lead to many of peoples conclusion as to what you have just stated. IMO if you don't have some form of debilitating problem or a true true true reason for its use other than rec use... you have just made it harder for those of us who can actually benefit from the program. If you truly could benefit from it... then it stands to reason you shall have no problem with obtaining a RX (actually a docs rec for it not a true rx ).

[gopiscrap]

12. welcome DU

[womanofthehills]

8. My friend who has MS is on the program

4 NEW CONDITIONS (last four) ADDED TO NEW MEXICO MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONDITIONS!!

1) Severe Chronic Pain
2) Painful Peripheral Neuropathy
3) Intractable nausea/vomiting
4) Severe anorexia/cachexia
5) Hepititis C on antiviral therapy
6) Crohn's disease
7) PTSD
8) ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
9) Cancer
10) Glaucoma
11) MS
12) Spinal Cord Injury with spasticity
13) Epiliepsy
14) HIV/AIDS
15) Hospice patients
16) Bipolar Disorder
17) Cluster Headaches
18) Migrane Headaches
19) Ankylosing spondylitis

[pamela]

9. I'm surprised depression isn't on the list.

I see bipolar disorder but I'm surprised depression isn't listed. I've tried just about every anti-depressant ever made and nothing works as good, without horrible side effects, as pot.

That's a shame about your friend but I'm glad she is able to use this program. I hope she gets some relief with it.

(this is off topic but I wanted to tell you I'm going to Tinkertown again this week. I thought I remembered you saying you knew Ross Ward. I'm excited. The last time we were there we were in kind of a hurry so this time we're going to give ourselves plenty of time to explore. We're in Tijeras now so we're really close to it.)