New Mexico Expands Number of Medical Marijuana Providers

New Mexico’s Department of Health has announced the approval of six new nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries, bringing the state’s total number to 17. According to the New Mexico Independent, the department is also considering a number of proposed changes to its medical marijuana program, including:

*Implementing an annual fee for nonprofit producers based on how long the nonprofit has been operating (previously proposed 7 percent fee on gross annual revenue). The fees would be $5,000 for producers licensed less than one year, $10,000 for more than one year, $20,000 for more than two years and $30,000 for more than three years.

*Eliminating the proposed open and closed application periods

*Removing size requirements from definition of mature plant and size limits from definition of seedling

*Allowing nonprofit producers to get plants, seeds and useable cannabis from other licensed nonprofit producers

There are currently more than 2,800 registered medical marijuana patients in New Mexico, more than 1,200 of whom have individual permits to grow their own medicine.

Incoming New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) has vowed to repeal the state’s medical marijuana law, widely considered one of the tightest regulated in the country. Thankfully, such an act would first have to pass through the state legislature, which has remained supportive of the program.