GROWERS RALLY FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS

The pot pioneers of New Mexico are meeting in Santa Fe on Friday to
show support for the Department of Health's Medical Cannabis Program.

The DOH is holding the meeting to consider approving new medical
conditions, including Hepatitis C, that could warrant patients having
a cannabis I.D. card. As of now, patients with one of 15 medical
conditions can be prescribed medical marijuana.

Larry S. Love is the organizer for the unofficial group of New
Mexicans who are interested in growing medical cannabis for the more
than 800 New Mexico patients who have cannabis I.D. cards.

Love has organized a patient rally to start after the 10 a.m. DOH's
meeting in the Runnels Building in Santa Fe.

"I understand that Albuquerque in general doesn't have a lot of
doctors that are willing to write a recommendation for their
patients," Love said. "So, it's early on in the program here, and
we're all sort of pioneers. Some physicians are just a little
reluctant because they have DEA licenses to write prescriptions for
regular prescriptions, and medical cannabis should be considered a
regular type of treatment."

Love said he wants to help potential patients fill out their
paperwork and find willing doctors.

"One of the things that I'm hoping to do in the near future is to
have a clinic where people can come and get the proper paperwork if
they don't have a computer, and we'll help them fill out their
applications for the DOH," he said. "I would like to do that at least
once a week up here in Santa Fe, and if we can find a place down in
Albuquerque, another day."

Love said physicians shouldn't worry about breaking federal laws
because the doctors only write recommendations for patients, not the
prescriptions themselves. Instead, the Department of Health writes
the prescription, Love said.

"The federal government has now changed their position on medical
cannabis and have stated that as long as someone is abiding by the
state law, they will not bother doctors or growers or distributors or
patients," he said. "So, that's a big step for helping the program,
not just here in New Mexico, but also in the other states that have
made medical cannabis legal."

Love said he will also hold more meetings for "The Growers Guild" to
help growers obtain the necessary applications and permits to
cultivate marijuana.

"Currently, there are about 800 patients, from what I understand, and
they expect to have about 1,000 or 1,100 by the end of January," he
said. "Which means they only have five people currently approved to
grow, and that would only cover less than 50 percent of the
patients. So, the DOH actually needs to approve five more producers
ASAP."

Love said he hopes the rally and meeting are well attended so the
doctors of New Mexico feel more confident about issuing
recommendations.

"This is our first step to gather patients and people that haven't
applied yet that want to apply to be a medical cannabis patient," he
said. "So, we're showing our support for the program and trying to
organize a voice for the patients of New Mexico."

*DOH Medical Cannabis Program Meeting

10 a.m.

Harold Runnels Building

1190 St. Francis Drive

Santa Fe

Patient Rally will be held after the meeting