cannabisnews.com: Law Requires N.M. To Grow Its Own Pot





Law Requires N.M. To Grow Its Own Pot
Posted by CN Staff on June 30, 2007 at 05:50:37 PT
By Deborah Baker, Associated Press Writer
Source: Associated Press
Santa Fe, N.M. -- New Mexico has a new medical marijuana law with a twist: It requires the state to grow its own.The law, effective Sunday, not only protects medical marijuana users from prosecution _ as 11 other states do _ but requires New Mexico to oversee a production and distribution system for the drug.
"The long-term goal is that the patients will have a safe, secure supply that doesn't mean drug dealers, that doesn't mean growing their own," said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.The state Department of Health must issue rules by Oct. 1 for the licensing of marijuana producers and in-state, secured facilities, and for developing a distribution system.The law was passed in March and signed by Gov. Bill Richardson, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination.Other states with medical marijuana laws are Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Maryland's law doesn't protect patients from arrest, but it keeps defendants out of jail if they can convince judges they needed marijuana for medical reasons.Connecticut's governor vetoed a medical marijuana bill recently.The distribution and use of marijuana are illegal under federal law, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 in a California case that medical marijuana users can be prosecuted.Faced with that dilemma, the health department has asked state Attorney General Gary King whether its employees could be federally prosecuted for running the medical marijuana registry and identification card program, and whether the agency can license marijuana producers and facilities."The production part is unprecedented. ... No other state law does that," said Dr. Steve Jenison, who is running the program for the health department. "So we're trying to be very thoughtful in how we proceed."In the meantime, however, patients must obtain their own supplies.The state will immediately begin taking applications from patients whose doctors certify they are eligible for the program.Within weeks, approved patients _ or their approved primary caregivers _ would receive temporary certificates allowing them to possess up to six ounces of marijuana, four mature plants and three immature seedlings. That's enough for three months, the department says.The law allows the use of marijuana for specified conditions including cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and HIV-AIDS, as well as by some patients in hospice care.An eight-member advisory board of doctors could recommend that other conditions be added to the list.Martin Walker was diagnosed four years ago as HIV positive and uses marijuana to combat nausea and depression. He said he looks forward to being able to obtain the drug legally."If there's a system in place that's going to allow me to do this treatment without having to break the law ... I'll just be able to sleep better at night," said Walker, who runs HIV prevention and other outdoor-based adult health programs for the Santa Fe Mountain Center.Source: Associated Press (Wire)Author: Deborah Baker, Associated Press WriterPublished:  Saturday, June 30, 2007Copyright: 2007 Associated Press Related Articles & Web Site:Drug Policy Alliancehttp://www.drugpolicy.org/State To Let Patients Grow Their Own Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23138.shtmlMedical Marijuana To Be Legal Next Week in N.M. http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23137.shtmlNew Mexico's New Pot Law Becomes Effectivehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread23133.shtml
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Comment #14 posted by FoM on July 03, 2007 at 10:56:29 PT
Video: Grandmother Welcomes Medical Marijuana 
July 3, 2007http://kob.com/article/stories/S129063.shtml?cat=504
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Comment #13 posted by josephlacerenza on July 02, 2007 at 16:52:56 PT:
There are other states this effects
NM is sending the message that the federallies are going to have to come after the state's health department. I imagine that even low THC varieties are better than no THC!! Why not let NM find out if the FEDS are willing to go after a state. I want to see what this may look like in front of this supreme court. 
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Comment #12 posted by whig on July 02, 2007 at 11:55:08 PT
Another article
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WireStory?id=3333524&page=2
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Comment #11 posted by josephlacerenza on July 02, 2007 at 09:25:33 PT:
Lets see if the FEDS take the bait
In California co-op grow operations have been targeted by the DEA for prosecution. New Mexico is taking a huge step forward by challenging even the most recent trials sent to through the judicial system. A state has the right to regulate its own health care system. Previous cases that had made it to the supreme court has been decided in favor of the FEDS on the grounds that they have jurisdiction over interstate commerce, but this is now a case were a state government has taken it upon itself to protect it’s residents from the tyranny of the FED Gov. Yes, the marijuana may be of questionable quality, but I must say, good job, to New Mexico’s residents for passing this president setting legislation. 
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Comment #10 posted by John Tyler on July 01, 2007 at 13:31:10 PT
need a little help from their friends
If you have been sickly or elderly you probably are going to be out of the social loop where you can make a good contact. They may need a little help from their friends who know the local cannabis scene.  
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Comment #9 posted by Hope on July 01, 2007 at 10:58:56 PT
Oops...
wrong thread.So sorry.
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Comment #8 posted by Hope on July 01, 2007 at 10:58:03 PT
That last comment
Forget it...I was thinking out loud...or something.He and venereal disease will be linked in my mind forever, I think. I think of his face and I think about those old guys, eons past.
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Comment #7 posted by charmed quark on July 01, 2007 at 07:13:53 PT
I don't think it is that simple
This would only work if the cooperatives were big enough so that a couple of new patients wouldn't use up all the surplus. The cooperatives would have to be big enough to absorb these statistical fluctuations.If one cooperative could give its surplus to another that had a deficit, then it would work. You'd smooth out the variations over the larger group, essentially ending up with a pot economy based on loan credits.But for this to work, the state laws would have to be modified. The laws would have to let individual patients grow within a cooperative; they'd have to let patients grow enough so that the average patient would have a surplus; and they'd have to let cooperatives trade surplus credits.No state law currently allows this. 
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on June 30, 2007 at 16:14:34 PT
charmed quark
What about this idea. Let every person who is well enough to have a garden double it for someone who can't and is too ill. Then if the healthier person gets sicker and can't garden anymore someone can do it for him or her. People who live in an apartment or a rental might not be allowed to grow by the owner so they need help too. What about a community garden for people who are well enough to help but have no way to grow like WAMM does? 
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Comment #5 posted by charmed quark on June 30, 2007 at 15:56:39 PT
Empowerment by gardening
For someone with a longterm illness, what could be more empowering than growing your own medicine? Modern medical care tends to take control away from the patient, this puts it back.However, some sort of system is needed to supply pot to patients in the sort term. You've just been diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer - you have surgery scheduled i2 n weeks followed by chemo. You won't have time to grow your medication before the chemo starts. Either a state supply or a pot club approach is needed for this sort of situation.
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Comment #4 posted by Sam Adams on June 30, 2007 at 12:54:55 PT
hempworld
I think on Oct. 1st they will allow patients to grow their own as well, Matthew. But it looks like the Dept. of Health is doing that on their own, the sound bite from DPA would seem like that is not their goal. I hope I'm wrong!it's interesting to compare DPA & MPP. MPP was founded by Libertarians, and is backed by Peter Lewis, a businessman. DPA was founded by an academic guy that is backed by Democrat George Soros. I guess my attitude is government, butt out! I think medical MJ laws should help patients completely avoid government as much as possible. The biggest fear I have about my health is that the government and doctors have total control over my health. That is a horrifying thought to me.If you think I'm crazy, remember that there was NO violence over drugs before the 1900's in the US. The church and other groups handled rehabbing people from drugs and alcohol. There was virtually NO organized crime in the US before the 1900's either.
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Comment #3 posted by HempWorld on June 30, 2007 at 09:39:08 PT
Thus, short term goal is to send patients to drug
dealers."The long-term goal is that the patients will have a safe, secure supply that doesn't mean drug dealers, that doesn't mean growing their own," said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.The state Department of Health must issue rules by Oct. 1 for the licensing of marijuana producers and in-state, secured facilities, and for developing a distribution system
In the meantime, however, patients must obtain their own supplies.How can a government allow this to happen? And then, Marijuana is specifically illegal for the Federal government yet part of this same government is sending patients to 'drug dealers.' This battle is fought over the backs of the patients once more! Bravo New Mexico, bravo Bill Richardson for putting the patients in the mix.Dear Gov. Richardson, we, HempWorld, Inc. will gladly grow all the needed medicine on time! No need for patients to resort to the black market. Please contact us at sales hempworld.com and we will make it happen!Sincerely,Matthew Huijgen, Founder/Pres./CEO HempWorld, Inc.
Nobody can stop this!
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on June 30, 2007 at 09:26:00 PT
Gardening and Ordinary People
People love to garden. People grow beautiful plants and enter them in their county fair sometimes. Man, the earth and a plant together are good for everyone. Neil Young is against factory farms for many reasons. I can't think of cannabis being grown only in a factory farm. Factory farms hurt us all. One blight can take out everything. It's too risky.We really must get back to the garden.
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on June 30, 2007 at 09:17:55 PT
ouch
As a patient, I sure wish Reena wouldn't speak of denying me the right to grow my own medicine. You're telling me that the govt. of New Mexico is going to grow cannabis better than private individuals?  No government on Earth has succeeded in growing anything but schwag. The select group that tried would include America, Canada, and Holland.Why would any patient want the same tyrants who denied this natural medicine for 80 years to now be the only source of the medicine?"The long-term goal is that the patients will have a safe, secure supply that doesn't mean drug dealers, that doesn't mean growing their own," said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.
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