NM health official rejects medical marijuana for opiate addicts

New Mexico’s top health official has rejected state Medical Cannabis Advisory Board recommendations to add opiate dependence and Alzheimer’s disease to the list of conditions that qualify a person to legally buy medical marijuana.

State Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher rejected the recommendations on Wednesday. She cited a lack of scientific research to support the argument that cannabis can offer relief from the pain and suffering of people struggling with opiate addiction. She also cited a lack of scientific research about the effects of cannabis on people with dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease.

The opiate recommendation would have allowed people addicted to heroin or narcotic painkillers to legally purchase marijuana.

Gallagher also rejected a recommendation that would have allowed doctors to use telemedicine to evaluate patients for certification in the cannabis program.