New Mexico Report Says Medical Marijuana Wait Time Reduced

In the state’s report regarding public health, the results were mixed. It appears that alcohol-related deaths have risen while teen pregnancy rates have dropped.

New Mexico published the first-of-its-kind report online, according to Santa Fe New Mexican. The report is part of a three-year study regarding public health in New Mexico.

David Morgan said, “This combines the measures we normally work on to try to be better, to strive for better service, and to be the health and safety net for all New Mexicans.”

In regards to medical marijuana, the numbers are getting better when it comes to how long it’s taken some patients to receive a decision. In 2015, the state was nearly perfect in meeting its 30-day timeline requirement. In 2016, the state experienced a bit of a backlog following an influx in applications received.

Jose Alderete of New Mexicann Natural Medicine said, “There were patients coming in all the time saying their card is expired and is there anything we can do?”

The rate of those getting decisions regarding medical marijuana cards within 30 days dropped to 68-percent in 2016. Those numbers have improved to nearly 90-percent receiving their decisions in the required 30-day period in 2017.

Alderete said, “I have definitely heard from a lot of patients that it’s gotten better.”