MEDICAL-MARIJUANA BILL GOES TO SENATE

Gov. Gary Johnson's Proposal To Legalize The Medical Use Of Marijuana
Is Heading To The Senate For Consideration

The Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed the measure on a 6-3 vote
late Wednesday night.

"What we're talking about is trying to help people who are quite
ill," said Sen. Roman Maes, D-Santa Fe, who sponsored the proposal.

Patients with debilitating medical conditions - cancer, AIDS or
glaucoma, for example - could be eligible for the program.

Health Secretary Alex Valdez said the department would approve
patients for the use of medical marijuana - "cannabis," as it's
called in the legislation. A physician must first certify the patient
as having a medical condition that qualifies for the program.

The department would decide where to obtain the marijuana, how much a
patient could legally possess and how it would be distributed to
patients.

However, Valdez said, it would not be legal for patients to grow
their own marijuana, as allowed in some other states with
medical-marijuana laws.

It's possible, Valdez said, the state might have a university - such
as New Mexico State University - or a private company supply the drug.

The committee chairman, Sen. Michael Sanchez, D-Belen, voted against
the proposal and said the legislation left the department to make too
many key decisions in designing the program.

For example, Sanchez questioned how the department would deal with a
New Mexico resident participating in the program who moves out of the
state but maintains his or her legal residence in New Mexico.

Valdez said those matters would be spelled out in rules and
regulations developed by the department. The bill called for an
advisory board of medical professionals to help guide the department
on requirements and procedures for the program.

The committee agreed to revise the provision to require the advisory
board be made up of nine physicians recommended to the department by
the New Mexico Medical Society. The nominees would be subject to
confirmation by the Senate.