New Mexico cannabis board to consider opioid addiction

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — It will be up to New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Board whether to recommend adding opioid addiction to the list of qualifying conditions for the state’s medical marijuana program.

The board is scheduled to meet March 29 in Santa Fe.

Made up of certified professionals, the board reviews petitions seeking to expand the list of debilitating conditions that qualify for the program. The state health secretary then makes a final determination.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is among those who support adding opioid addiction to the list.

Patients currently must meet at least one of 21 conditions to qualify for a medical marijuana card.

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Of the nearly 70,000 enrolled patients in New Mexico, slightly more than half list post-traumatic stress disorder as a condition. Other conditions include severe chronic pain and cancer.