Medical Cannabis FAQs

The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act is a law that allows the beneficial use of medical cannabis in a regulated system for alleviating symptoms caused by debilitating medical conditions and their medical treatment. Debilitating medical conditions include cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, damage to the central nervous system, epilepsy, HIV/Aids and severe chronic pain.

A “qualified patient” is a resident of New Mexico that has been diagnosed by a practitioner as having a debilitating medical condition and has received written certification and a registry identity card issued pursuant to the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act.

A “licensed producer” is any person or association of persons within New Mexico that the Department of Health determines to be qualified to produce, possess, distribute, and dispense cannabis pursuant to the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act and that is licensed by the Department of Health.

Medical cannabis (also referred to as medical marijuana) is the use of cannabis and its constituent cannaboids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy. The Cannabis plant from which the cannabis drug is derived has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BC.

Medical cannabis has several well-documented beneficial effects. Among these are: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as general analgesic effects (pain relief). There is credible medical evidence that medical cannabis can alleviate the pain, suffering or debility stemming from certain medical conditions, medical treatments or disease.