New Mexico Governor: Opioid addicts to qualify for medical marijuana
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she will direct health officials in her administration to begin making opioid addiction a qualifying condition for patients seeking to use medical marijuana.
The Democratic governor’s pledge Tuesday came during her first State of State address, which kicks off the Legislature’s 60-day session in Santa Fe.
She says the directive follows a longstanding recommendation from the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board, and will come in addition to other state initiatives to address the state’s opioid crisis.
She says the other plans include boosting opioid prevention programs and the availability of overdose-reversal drugs like Narcan.
She said cracking down on prescribers and pharmaceutical companies that avert the law would help address the distribution of opioids in New Mexico, in addition to a compassionate approach to addressing addiction.
