More than 50,000 patients are now participating in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program.
The latest figures from the state Health Department show a total of 50,954 patients were enrolled at the end of March. That’s an increase of nearly 46 percent from the same time last year.
About half of the patients list post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition.
Patients must meet at least one of 21 conditions for a medical marijuana card. The other most common qualifying conditions include severe chronic pain and cancer.
State health officials have been careful over the years to expand the list of conditions. Still pending is a petition to allow medical marijuana to be used as a tool in the fight against opioid abuse and the associated withdrawal symptoms.
