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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Medical cannabis alliance hopes to educate public
Carlsbad Current-Argus Wednesday 13 Jul 2011 According to a news release from the Southeast New Mexico Medical Cannabis Alliance President Robert Pack, the group was formed in January, and has steadily gained interest since its establishment. Pack helped establish policies and procedures at the Santa Fe Institute for Natural Medicine that ensured the medication would follow state law, said the release. After the first Carlsbad alliance meeting of patients, caregivers, producers, educators, medical professionals, family and friends, the group quickly defined several issues unique to medical cannabis patients in southeast New Mexico, said Pack. Among these issues were the availability of state-approved medication in the area, the delivery of medication to the area, and the need to identify and register those New Mexicans who are legally eligible to be in the program and to help in the registration process. "The SENMMCA does not condone, recommend, support or promote the illegal use, sale, transport, transfer or production of marijuana in the state of New Mexico," said Pack. "We do not collect fees or dues." According to the release, attendance at the Carlsbad meetings often includes people from Roswell, Artesia, Hobbs, Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, Lovington and Jal. "We've had inquiries from individuals in Clovis and Tucumcari that have expressed interest in forming their own local groups, and the group has seen an increase in interested calls from doctors, clergy and educators statewide," said Pack. "We have the support of a variety of health care professionals and are working hard to find and ensure the support of others in the field." The cannabis alliance president said that the organization is in place to protect the rights of N.M. patients suffering from a variety of conditions that can be debilitating - many of the conditions are terminal. The approved conditions are: Severe 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, inflammatory autoimmune-mediated arthritis and hospice patients. "None of the conditions listed can be 'cured,' with the possible exception of cancer," said Pack. "The approximately 4,000 New Mexicans currently enrolled in the program can now find much needed relief without fearing arrest, unavailability of supply and poor quality medication." The program in New Mexico is widely regarded as one of the best programs in the nation for medical cannabis policy, said the release. "There have been none of the issues in NM that have plagued California, Colorado and Washington states' programs," said Pack. "New Mexico medical cannabis producers are strictly regulated and are committed to the patients' needs." The medical cannabis alliance meets on a monthly basis, every third Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m. at the Eddy County Extension Office. http://www.currentargus.com/ci_18473004
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