Pubdate: Tue, 06 Oct 2015
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2015 Albuquerque Journal
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10
Author: Olivier Uyttebrouck

STATE VETTING 12 CANNABIS PRODUCERS

If All Pass Muster, Medical Pot Growers in NM Will Rise to 35

Health officials have selected 12 applicants to become licensed 
nonprofit producers for New Mexico's medical cannabis program, 
subject to site visits showing they comply with state regulations.

If all 12 receive licenses, it would increase the total number of 
licensed medical pot producers to 35, the New Mexico Department of 
Health said Monday.

No licensed producers have been added to current list of 23 since 2010.

The agency did not identify the 12 selected applicants, despite a 
directive announced in July by Gov. Susana Martinez that the names of 
medical marijuana producers and their employees be made public.

Health department officials said the directive requires regulatory 
changes now in the works.

"Consistent with Governor Martinez's direction for more transparency 
in the Medical Cannabis Program, the Department of Health is working 
on a rule change so that (licensed nonprofit producer) information is 
public," agency spokesman Kenny Vigil said in a written statement.

"The DOH anticipates publication of the proposed rule changes, and 
conducting a public hearing sometime this fall," he said.

Eight of the selected applicants are located in Bernalillo County, 
and one each in Chaves, Santa Fe, Taos and Valencia counties.

A DOH committee used a scoring system to select the 12 from a pool of 
86 applicants under consideration in August.

Expanding the number of licensed producers is part of the agency's 
strategy for increasing the availability of medical cannabis in New 
Mexico, health officials have said.

A 2013 survey found that program was struggling to supply a growing 
number of registered patients.

New Mexico today has more than 17,500 patients who are licensed to 
buy medical marijuana from state-approved producers, according to DOH records.

The agency responded last year with a plan to increase the number of 
licensed producers and increase the number of plants each is allowed to grow.

In February, the agency approved new rules that increased to 450 the 
maximum number of pot plants each producer can grow, up from the 
previous limit of 150.

The Health Department reported in August that a total of 4,447 pot 
plants were in production by the state's 23 licensed nonprofit 
producers. Ten producers are growing the maximum 450 plants, Vigil said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom