New Mexico Expands Medical Marijuana Availability

In this morning's Albuquerque Journal, an editorial column was published which called for the disclosure of the names and locations of New Mexico's four new medical marijuana producers.

The program recently expanded from one state-sanctioned producer to five after the original producer ran out of supplies.

While we aren't weighing-in on whether or not medicinal marijuana producers should be required to disclose information such as salaries, names and locations (although two of the five producers are now public knowledge.) we do have to applaud the Journal for recognizing that the availability of medicinal marijuana is a "worthy effort".

Originally signed into law by Governor Richardson in 2007, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act has provided legal prescriptions for any 15 approved conditions which range from post traumatic stress disorder to AIDS to epilepsy.

The program currently has 755 patients, with 204 licensed to produce their own cannabis for personal use.

In an interview originally published by New Mexico Independent, Department of Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil stated that marijuana is a "medicine like any other medicine." This is a statement which is in contrast with marijuana's Schedule One drug status -- meaning that it is still illegal on a Federal level.

But while New Mexico's program has been criticized for being too slow to develop, Vigil defends the program as a trail-blazer. This claim is also echoed in an article published today on the Huffington Post.

Slow or not, New Mexico's medical marijuana program is providing a valuable service to citizens who have yet to benefit from other forms of treatment, and most importantly, Secretary Vigil's staff have the right motivation -- alleviating human suffering through superior patient care.

Special Session of Legislature to be Held on Oct. 17th

Governor Richardson has called for a special legislative session on October 17th which will seek to address a state deficit of some 433 million dollars. (Although some have estimated that the deficit is more like 550 million dollars.)

The special session has been designated to cover budget issues only, and legislators are burdened with the task of making difficult decisions on where to trim excess from State expenditures.

There are competing groups who would like to see taxes increased so that vital funds are not stripped from either services provided to the needy or education, but Governor Richardson has stated that he opposes new taxes. The tax cuts of 2003 are cited by the Governor as cuts which attract higher-paying jobs to our State.

Public Schools account for about 40% of our State's budget. (Some say it accounts for up to 60%.) The Governor has indicated that he intends to spare schools from being forced to make cuts:

No matter what happens during the special session, the Democratic Party of New Mexico wants our children to have the best education possible.

Javier Gonzales, DPNM Chair stated in his acceptance speech during the DPNM's State Central Committee meeting that:

"As Democrats, we must stand united behind Gov. Richardson and Lt.

Gov. Denish and ask that our Democratic elected officials in the legislature do what we

know is right for our children and fight any efforts to reduce spending on education."

We know these our tough times for everyone, but New Mexicans must strive to keep the highest standards of education available for our children and young adults.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico supports access to superior education for all and the continued strengthening of public education.

We urge all Democrats to make their views on the importance of quality education known to their elected representatives before the special session on October 17th.

Richardson's Visit to Cuba

Governor Richardson was in Cuba last week on a visit to discuss agricultural trade with the Communist island nation. While general travel to Cuba is restricted, Richardson's visit was legal due to the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 which sought to ease restrictions on food products and medicines and their trade.

According to the New Mexico Independent, Richardson's visit has sparked a heated conversation as to the potential of restoring normalized relations with Cuba. While Richardson made it clear that he was not acting in an official capacity (other than Governor) for President Obama's administration, he does plan to meet with the President and report his impressions after the trip.

But is it likely that Cuban-American relations could shift in the near future? Probably -- and especially if you consider that during her confirmation hearings, now-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that her department would conduct a review of Cuban-American relations. (see questions 101-105)

While her answers at the time were vague -- after all she did not yet have the job -- they certainly indicated an ease of the otherwise tense nature of Cuban-American relations. President Obama has also indicated that he supports an ease of travel restrictions for family members and remittances to the island. Governor Richardson also expressed support for an ease in general travel restrictions to the country.

Coupled with this month's meeting with North Korean envoys, our Governor is growing his list of high-level meetings with less than friendly states. Twice before has the Governor met with Cuban officials -- in 1996 and 1997 -- and there is a working relationship established between the parties. These reasons along made Richardson the perfect choice for trade talks with Cuba.

Although Richardson stressed his non-official capacity, (there has not been an ambassador to Cuba from the United States since 1961) it is good to see that President Obama is interested in our Governor's opinions, expertise and impressions from the trip.