Medical pot advocates hope new governor will hear them
Advisory panel recommends Alzheimer’s, degenerative neurological disorders be listed as qualifying conditions in N.M.
Patients in New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program are collectively waiting to exhale.
After years of battling a Republican administration many felt tolerated the program, at best — and some say actively obstructed it — patients and advocates at a Thursday meeting of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board said they hope Democratic Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham will replace Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher with someone who will improve the program, not just maintain the status quo required under state law.
The biannual meetings of the board, a panel of medical doctors, allow members of the public to propose disorders they’d like to see added as qualifying conditions for obtaining a license to legally use medical cannabis.
But as some of the only venues for directly addressing Health Department staff, the meetings often are dominated by medical cannabis patients venting to the board about their frustrations with the way the program is run.
Thursday’s meeting had the feeling of a group brainstorming session, with patients, board members and advocates discussing a
wish list of initiatives they hope the new administration will embrace.
Some of the topics discussed were increasing the program’s staffing level in proportion to patient increases, developing education and community outreach efforts, tightening pesticide regulations and bringing law enforcement up to speed on the rights of cannabis patients.
The Medical Cannabis Advisory Board considered petitions for three new conditions Thursday.
Members voted 5-1 against adding nystagmus — rapid, uncontrollable eye movement — noting it’s more of a symptom of other ailments than a disease of its own. There has been little research on how cannabis affects this vision condition, board members said, and some anecdotal evidence indicates cannabis could make it worse in some sufferers.
They voted 6-0 in favor of adding degenerative neurological disorder as a qualifying condition. Board members discussed the fact that numerous conditions fall under this designation, and adding it to the program could meet the needs of many patients.
The board also voted unanimously in favor of adding Alzheimer’s disease — even though it would be covered as a degenerative neurological disorder.
Dr. Laura Brown, chairwoman of the board, noted the group has recommended several times that Alzheimer’s be added as a condition, but Gallagher has never seen fit to follow the recommendation.
It’s one of many of the board’s recommendations that have been shirked by the health secretary.
Brown seemed optimistic that a new administration would be more receptive to the board’s input, urging petitioners to “bring these petitions back because I think it could be a different time.”