News (Media Awareness Project) - US NM: Panel Suggests Adding 'Major Depression' To Medical Pot |
| Title: | US NM: Panel Suggests Adding 'Major Depression' To Medical Pot |
| Published On: | 2010-09-29 |
| Source: | New Mexican, The (Santa Fe, NM) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-10-06 15:54:40 |
PANEL SUGGESTS ADDING 'MAJOR DEPRESSION' TO MEDICAL POT LIST
Most Controversial Debate Surrounds Increased Producer
Fee
A panel that advises the state on medical-marijuana policy voted
Wednesday to allow major depression as a qualifying condition.
The decision now goes to Dr. Alfredo Vigil, health department
secretary. If he agrees, depression would be the 16th medical
condition approved for patient medical marijuana use. Others include
chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer, glaucoma,
multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS patients.
About a dozen people -- including a lawyer, a social worker and a
woman who drove from Las Cruces -- spoke Wednesday in favor of adding
depression, and the panel agreed 5-2. No one spoke out against the
addition.
But another topic -- a series of proposed rule changes to the program
- -- dominated hallway discussions among the patients, providers and
others in attendance.
Those changes, which include charging nonprofit medical producers a
fee of about 7 percent of their annual gross receipts and increasing
the fee for a producer license to $1,000 from $100 to help fund the
program, will be discussed in a public hearing today.
Deborah Busemeyer, health department spokeswoman, said the fee
increase is needed to pay for the administration of the program, which
now serves 2,500 patients. The program has no budget of its own.
"We really want to expand what we are able to do," Busemeyer said.
"One proposal is to test products; to get some samples to test for
mold and other contaminants."
Other changes would allow certified patients to purchase seeds so they
can grow their own marijuana, Busemeyer said. Another change would
give the health secretary more authority over producer licenses.
Staff from the medical-cannabis program will decide which of the
changes to accept after hearing public comment on the issue today. She
said approved changes could become effective as early as November.
Today's hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the
Harold Runnels building at the corner of St. Francis Drive and Alta
Vista Street.
IF YOU GO
What: Public hearing on medical cannabis program
When: 9:30 a.m. today
Where: Auditorium of the Harold Runnels building, 1190 St. Francis Drive
Most Controversial Debate Surrounds Increased Producer
Fee
A panel that advises the state on medical-marijuana policy voted
Wednesday to allow major depression as a qualifying condition.
The decision now goes to Dr. Alfredo Vigil, health department
secretary. If he agrees, depression would be the 16th medical
condition approved for patient medical marijuana use. Others include
chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer, glaucoma,
multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS patients.
About a dozen people -- including a lawyer, a social worker and a
woman who drove from Las Cruces -- spoke Wednesday in favor of adding
depression, and the panel agreed 5-2. No one spoke out against the
addition.
But another topic -- a series of proposed rule changes to the program
- -- dominated hallway discussions among the patients, providers and
others in attendance.
Those changes, which include charging nonprofit medical producers a
fee of about 7 percent of their annual gross receipts and increasing
the fee for a producer license to $1,000 from $100 to help fund the
program, will be discussed in a public hearing today.
Deborah Busemeyer, health department spokeswoman, said the fee
increase is needed to pay for the administration of the program, which
now serves 2,500 patients. The program has no budget of its own.
"We really want to expand what we are able to do," Busemeyer said.
"One proposal is to test products; to get some samples to test for
mold and other contaminants."
Other changes would allow certified patients to purchase seeds so they
can grow their own marijuana, Busemeyer said. Another change would
give the health secretary more authority over producer licenses.
Staff from the medical-cannabis program will decide which of the
changes to accept after hearing public comment on the issue today. She
said approved changes could become effective as early as November.
Today's hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium of the
Harold Runnels building at the corner of St. Francis Drive and Alta
Vista Street.
IF YOU GO
What: Public hearing on medical cannabis program
When: 9:30 a.m. today
Where: Auditorium of the Harold Runnels building, 1190 St. Francis Drive
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
