New Mexico Governor Vetoes Bill to Expand Medical Cannabis Law
Legislation that would have expanded New Mexico’s medical cannabis program has been vetoed by Governor Susana Martinez.
Governor Susana Martinez.
House Bill 527 would have added opioid use disorder as a condition that qualifies someone to become a legal medical cannabis patient, given they received a recommendation from a physician and registered with the state.
In her veto letter, Governor Martinez said that allowing medical cannabis for opioid use disorder is “problematic”.
“[I]ncluding“opioid use disorder” to the list of qualifying conditions for which an individual may enroll in the program is problematic”, says Martinez. In addition to “bypassing the authority of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board”, Martinez says that “Including “opioid use disorder” independently will likely cause a rapid increase in program enrollment, which the program is currently unable to sustain.”
Martinez’s full veto letter can be found by clicking here.
Martinez also recently vetoed two hemp bills that would have done nothing more than allowed hemp to be researched.
Those in New Mexico who want to let Governor Martinez know their opinion of these vetoes can contact her office by calling (505) 476-2200 or by clicking here.
[Update 4/8/2017: This article has been updated to reflect that House Bill 527 would have only added opioid use disorder to the state’s medical cannabis program, not other conditions.]
jgg
Actually the bill would have added 1 new condition – opioid use disorder. The other conditions are already part of the program, but they are listed in administrative rules for the program not in statute.
Anthony Martinelli
Hi,
Thank you for the correction. We’ve updated the article.
Best,
Anthony
tattoo art
Severe migraines and chronic mental health conditions are on the list of conditions, so anxiety and migraines would be covered..