New Mexico Governor Vetoes State’s Medical Marijuana Expansion Bill

Governor Susana Martinez went on a vetoing spree, which included the veto of Senate Bill 527 (SB 527), which sought to expand the state’s medical marijuana program. One of the most troubling factors of this loss is that the move was done behind closed doors and without explanation.

In total, Governor Martinez vetoed 140 bills, according to Taos News. SB 527 would have become the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act. The approved qualifying conditions list would have been expanded.

The bill also would have allowed for the treatment of opioid use and abuse with medical marijuana. The only reasoning given is that doing so was “problematic”. Martinez said that allowing opioid use/abuse as a qualifying condition would make the state’s medical marijuana program grow too fast. She doesn’t have faith that her state can withstand such an influx.

The good news, however, is that the New Mexico Cannabis Advisory Board’s qualifying conditions expansion recommendations go through Department of Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher for approval – not Governor Martinez.