LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces resident Logan Davis, 46, suffers from chronic pain that's tough to alleviate. He said prescription painkillers help, but not for long.
"They work for a few days," he said. "But after two or three days, you might as well set the things down and pick up an aspirin. It's nothing that provides long-term relief that you can easily control."
Davis said he has found the best pain relief comes from smoking marijuana. That's why he said he's applying for a state permit to use the drug for medical purposes. He said he has been in contact with a doctor from Truth or Consequences and is in the process of scheduling the tests that must be submitted to the state as part of his application.
As of Nov. 9, there were 755 active permits for users across the state, according to the state health department.
New Mexico in 2007 became the 12th state to approve the medical use of cannabis. But it has taken a while for the program to get off the ground.
The state health department authorized the first nonprofit producer in March 2009, while four additional nonprofits were licensed earlier this month. Another 21 applications are pending.
The health department isn't releasing the names of the authorized marijuana growers, which are restricted to having 95 mature plants at a given time.
Chris Minnick, spokesman for the department of health, said state regulations don't allow the names of either producers or patients to be released. But he said patients would be given information about how to reach the suppliers.
"This isn't a pharmacy where you can just walk up and purchase medical cannabis," he said. "There's no need for the public to ever visit these facilities."
Minnick also said he couldn't release information about whether any of the five providers are located in southern New Mexico.
Davis said he's been in contact with the health department and has been told there aren't any suppliers in Las Cruces now, but there should be within six to nine months.
Minnick said producers, as part of their application to become certified, must develop a system for delivering the marijuana to patients.
Patients also can seek approval to grow their own marijuana plants. They can have up to four mature plants and 12 seedlings.
Under the state's program, doctors don't issue prescriptions to get marijuana. Rather, they make a recommendation to the state that a patient has one of the medical conditions that qualify to be treated with cannabis. The state then reviews the application and decides whether to grant it.
Southwestern New Mexico resident John Quinn was in Las Cruces last week trying to find a physician willing to issue the recommendation. He said he spent much of Tuesday searching, but without any success.
"My primary care physician won't even talk to me about it," he said.
Minnick said the patients would be responsible on their own for finding a doctor willing to issue the recommendation necessary to get a state approval. He said the department wouldn't advise people about where to turn.
Quinn said an accident in 1995 left him with chronic pain. Like Davis, Quinn said painkillers such as OxyContin don't work. Plus, he said he doesn't like that they're "really heavy" pharmaceuticals.
"They don't do much good for me, and they screw up my digestive system," he said.
Quinn said he views marijuana, however, as being a "harmless herb."
In all, 15 patient conditions - including cancer, chronic pain, post-traumatic and glaucoma - are eligible to be treated with medical marijuana.
Asked to describe how the drug improves his condition, Davis said: "Your muscles start to relax; you don't get muscle spasms. They don't start clamping on your nerves."
Davis said he believes marijuana possession should be de-criminalized, because it would free up law enforcement for more important activities, such as keeping youth out of gangs. Still, because it still is illegal, he said he'd go through the state's process.
Ever since the statute was passed, it's been in conflict with a federal law prohibiting the possession of marijuana. But President Barack Obama told federal lawyers last month not to prosecute marijuana users who are following state laws. It was a change from the Bush administration's policy of enforcing anti-marijuana laws, regardless of state laws.
Minnick said the policy change is a welcome one for New Mexico patients.
"They're protected from state law, but not federal law, so there was always that fear on their part," he said. "The announcement alleviates that a bit for the patients and producers that they're not going to be pursued criminally for doing something that is alleviating their suffering."
Quinn said he's been a recreational smoker of marijuana, but hasn't used the drug much in the past 15 years. He's hopeful about getting a permit.
"I think it will improve the quality of my life," he said.
---------------------------------
Conditions eligible for treatment with medical marijuana
-chronic pain
-painful peripheral neuropathy
-intractable nausea/vomiting
-severe anorexia/cachexia
-hepatitis C infection currently receiving antiviral treatment
-Crohn's disease
-Post-traumatic stress disorder
-Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease)
-cancer
-glaucoma
-multiple sclerosis
-damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with intractable spasticity
-epilepsy
-HIV/AIDS
-hospice patients
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Silver City Sun-News
Author: Diana M. Alba
Contact: Silver City Sun-News
Copyright: 2008 CustomWeather, Inc.
Website:Hundreds of New Mexicans OK'd as medical pot users -
"They work for a few days," he said. "But after two or three days, you might as well set the things down and pick up an aspirin. It's nothing that provides long-term relief that you can easily control."
Davis said he has found the best pain relief comes from smoking marijuana. That's why he said he's applying for a state permit to use the drug for medical purposes. He said he has been in contact with a doctor from Truth or Consequences and is in the process of scheduling the tests that must be submitted to the state as part of his application.
As of Nov. 9, there were 755 active permits for users across the state, according to the state health department.
New Mexico in 2007 became the 12th state to approve the medical use of cannabis. But it has taken a while for the program to get off the ground.
The state health department authorized the first nonprofit producer in March 2009, while four additional nonprofits were licensed earlier this month. Another 21 applications are pending.
The health department isn't releasing the names of the authorized marijuana growers, which are restricted to having 95 mature plants at a given time.
Chris Minnick, spokesman for the department of health, said state regulations don't allow the names of either producers or patients to be released. But he said patients would be given information about how to reach the suppliers.
"This isn't a pharmacy where you can just walk up and purchase medical cannabis," he said. "There's no need for the public to ever visit these facilities."
Minnick also said he couldn't release information about whether any of the five providers are located in southern New Mexico.
Davis said he's been in contact with the health department and has been told there aren't any suppliers in Las Cruces now, but there should be within six to nine months.
Minnick said producers, as part of their application to become certified, must develop a system for delivering the marijuana to patients.
Patients also can seek approval to grow their own marijuana plants. They can have up to four mature plants and 12 seedlings.
Under the state's program, doctors don't issue prescriptions to get marijuana. Rather, they make a recommendation to the state that a patient has one of the medical conditions that qualify to be treated with cannabis. The state then reviews the application and decides whether to grant it.
Southwestern New Mexico resident John Quinn was in Las Cruces last week trying to find a physician willing to issue the recommendation. He said he spent much of Tuesday searching, but without any success.
"My primary care physician won't even talk to me about it," he said.
Minnick said the patients would be responsible on their own for finding a doctor willing to issue the recommendation necessary to get a state approval. He said the department wouldn't advise people about where to turn.
Quinn said an accident in 1995 left him with chronic pain. Like Davis, Quinn said painkillers such as OxyContin don't work. Plus, he said he doesn't like that they're "really heavy" pharmaceuticals.
"They don't do much good for me, and they screw up my digestive system," he said.
Quinn said he views marijuana, however, as being a "harmless herb."
In all, 15 patient conditions - including cancer, chronic pain, post-traumatic and glaucoma - are eligible to be treated with medical marijuana.
Asked to describe how the drug improves his condition, Davis said: "Your muscles start to relax; you don't get muscle spasms. They don't start clamping on your nerves."
Davis said he believes marijuana possession should be de-criminalized, because it would free up law enforcement for more important activities, such as keeping youth out of gangs. Still, because it still is illegal, he said he'd go through the state's process.
Ever since the statute was passed, it's been in conflict with a federal law prohibiting the possession of marijuana. But President Barack Obama told federal lawyers last month not to prosecute marijuana users who are following state laws. It was a change from the Bush administration's policy of enforcing anti-marijuana laws, regardless of state laws.
Minnick said the policy change is a welcome one for New Mexico patients.
"They're protected from state law, but not federal law, so there was always that fear on their part," he said. "The announcement alleviates that a bit for the patients and producers that they're not going to be pursued criminally for doing something that is alleviating their suffering."
Quinn said he's been a recreational smoker of marijuana, but hasn't used the drug much in the past 15 years. He's hopeful about getting a permit.
"I think it will improve the quality of my life," he said.
---------------------------------
Conditions eligible for treatment with medical marijuana
-chronic pain
-painful peripheral neuropathy
-intractable nausea/vomiting
-severe anorexia/cachexia
-hepatitis C infection currently receiving antiviral treatment
-Crohn's disease
-Post-traumatic stress disorder
-Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease)
-cancer
-glaucoma
-multiple sclerosis
-damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with intractable spasticity
-epilepsy
-HIV/AIDS
-hospice patients
News Hawk- Weedpipe 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Silver City Sun-News
Author: Diana M. Alba
Contact: Silver City Sun-News
Copyright: 2008 CustomWeather, Inc.
Website:Hundreds of New Mexicans OK'd as medical pot users -
