Pubdate: Sat, 14 Feb 2015
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2015 Albuquerque Journal
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10
Author: Rick Nathanson

RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FOR MEDICAL POT

Producer Licenses Are on Hold for Now

Increasing the maximum allowable concentration of THC in cannabis 
products from 60 to 70 percent, and eliminating a proposed rule 
requiring patients to submit "biometric" information when applying 
for cards, are among the revisions to proposed new rules for the 
state's Medical Cannabis Program.

The recommendations were made by Albuquerque attorney Susan Hapka, 
the hearing officer hired to oversee the state Health Department's 
overhaul of the program. Her report was filed with the Health 
Department on Thursday, which is "in the process of reviewing it" 
before making final decisions about rules, said department spokesman 
Kenny Vigil on Friday. He added that there was "no set time frame for 
finalizing the rules."

The department previously has indicated it would not begin issuing 
licenses to new producers until after new rules have been adopted, he said.

No new producers have been licensed since 2010, and a Health 
Department study commissioned in 2013 showed that average patient use 
was exceeding available supply. As of February 2015, there were 
12,940 active patients on the Medical Cannabis Program, Vigil said.

Other recommendations from Hapka include:

Increasing the maximum water content for cannabis from 10 percent to 
15 percent.

Allowing the use of ethyl alcohol as a solvent for creating concentrates.

Clarifying that couriers and non-profit producers can deliver to 
patients who live within 300 feet of a school, church or day care center.

Clarifying that a person whose application as a qualified patient or 
primary caregiver has been denied for failure to complete an 
application or failure to meet a submittal requirement, may request a 
record review from the department.

Changing the language from "financial audit" to simply "audit" as 
clarification for the type of audit that must be performed and 
submitted by nonprofit producers (who claimed that federal cannabis 
laws made it difficult to obtain a certified financial audit).

Hapka's recommendations were assembled after a Dec. 29 public hearing 
in Santa Fe, at which 54 people provided oral comment and another 
1,100 written public comments were received.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom