Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jul 2015
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2015 Albuquerque Journal
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10

GOVERNOR SHEDS LIGHT ON NM MARIJUANA INDUSTRY

When a state regulation has no compelling reason to exist - 
especially one that shrouds an important state function in secrecy - 
it takes decisive leadership to get it off the books.

Gov. Susana Martinez's decision to direct the New Mexico Health 
Department to dump a provision in the state's Medical Cannabis 
Program that kept the names of licensed medical marijuana producers 
secret is a perfect example of logic - and transparency - prevailing 
over furtive regulation.

Ever since New Mexico approved its medical marijuana program in 2007, 
regulations have kept the names of licensed pot growers, dispensaries 
and their employees confidential. Although proponents of such secrecy 
claimed that making that information public would prove detrimental - 
for reasons ranging from federal prosecution of growers to security 
of production locations - no such problems have arisen. The federal 
government has not intervened in state-sanctioned programs, and 
information on dispensary locations has always been relatively easy 
to find. Dispensaries advertise their businesses.

The Journal has long been critical of this Richardson administration 
era policy.

A lawsuit filed July 9 against the Health Department by the New 
Mexico Foundation for Open Government and freelance journalist Peter 
St. Cyr - who has covered the state's medical marijuana issue for 
years - argued that the secrecy regulation wasn't permitted under the 
state's Inspection of Public Records Act, that it deprives New 
Mexicans of information about their neighborhoods, distorts the 
market and could lead to "cronyism and corruption" in the awarding of 
lucrative state licenses.

It bears repeating that there has been no effort to compel disclosure 
of the names of patients.

Now that the governor has decisively opted for transparency over 
secrecy in this important issue, the Health Department should 
immediately release information on the licensed commercial producers 
and information about the related dispensaries.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom