Marijuana has been proven to be useful against nausea, and depression resulted from chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments against cancer or HIV. That's why in many countries, marijuana is permitted for medical purposes. Medical marijuana law exists also in eleven US states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Now, New Mexico
has got its new medical marijuana law, that requires the state to grow the medical marijuana! Through this law, the use of medical marijuana is not only permitted, but the state must produce and deliver the drug.
"The long-term goal is that the patients will have a safe, secure supply that doesn't mean drug dealers, that doesn't mean growing their own," said Reena Szczepanski, director of Drug Policy Alliance New Mexico.
By Oct. 1, marijuana producers will get the license, secured facilities, and a distribution system will be developed. In Maryland, the law doesn't defend patients from arrest, they must convince judges they use marijuana just for medical reasons. In Connecticut, the governor has recently rejected a medical marijuana bill. The distribution and consume of marijuana are illegal under federal law, and the US Supreme Court ruled in 2005 in a California case that medical marijuana consumers can face trial. That's why the health department has questioned state Attorney General Gary King if employees could be federally prosecuted for running programs for the medical marijuana use, and if they can license marijuana producers and facilities.
"The production part is unprecedented. ... No other state law does that. So we're trying to be very thoughtful in how we proceed," said Dr. Steve Jenison, head of the program for the health department.
The state will immediately start taking measures from those cases when doctors guarantee they accomplish the conditions for the program. In several weeks, approved patients (or their primary caregivers) would get temporary certificates permitting them to possess a maximum of six ounces (170 g) of marijuana, four mature plants and three immature seedlings, the supply for three months.
Under the incidence of the law, diseases like cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and HIV-AIDS are included, but also patients in hospice care, and other conditions could be added at the recommendation of an eight-member advisory board of doctors.
"If there's a system in place that's going to allow me to do this treatment without having to break the law ... I'll just be able to sleep better at night," said Martin Walker, diagnosed four years ago with HIV, and who employs marijuana against nausea and depression.
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