cannabisnews.com: Med. Marijuana Research Program Could Be Revived





Med. Marijuana Research Program Could Be Revived
Posted by FoM on October 10, 1999 at 06:35:51 PT
The Associated Press 
Source: Amarillo Globe
 Efforts are being made to revive a long-dormant medical marijuana research program in New Mexico.Health Secretary Alex Valdez said he began looking into restoring the Lynn Pierson therapeutic program after advocates threatened a class-action lawsuit if funding for the program wasn't reinstated.
Valdez said Friday he was informed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration about what federal requirements he must fulfill to restore the program but added that funding for it was not a priority."I have to think about how to proceed with this," he said.Bryan Krumm, a potential plaintiff in the lawsuit, said he delayed legal action when Valdez told him he would try to restore the program. Krumm said he has a referral from his doctor to the program to help ease knee pain from an accident, as well as depression."We still may file," said Krumm, a nurse who works for the University of New Mexico.Marijuana for medical use is legal in New Mexico under the dormant 1978 Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act. The law, inspired by Lynn Pierson, a 26-year-old University of New Mexico student who suffered from lung cancer, provided subsidized marijuana to cancer patients to relieve the nausea of chemotherapy.The program ended in 1986 after the Legislature refused to renew its $50,000 annual budget.Krumm said Valdez sent him a letter this summer stating that the program would be reinstated. But he added that Valdez wanted to see interest from more than one person before he proceeded.About 30 people were to be named as plaintiffs in the potential lawsuit, and many of them will be contacting Valdez, Krumm said. During the program's operation, more than 250 people participated, he said.Valdez said he wanted to make it clear that his attention to the program is completely unrelated to Gov. Gary Johnson's call for the legalization of drugs, such as marijuana and heroin."I know others would say this is the first step toward legalization," Valdez said. "I don't want this to get clouded with other discussions taking place. It (marijuana) already is legal in New Mexico for medical research purposes."Ed McWilliams, another potential plaintiff, said he wasn't able to get a physician's referral to the program, but he wants to use marijuana to treat migraine headaches."Medical research from a lot of sources has stated it unquestionably helps in that area, with not a lot of the dire side effects other medications have," McWilliams said.Sunday, October 10, 19995:56 a.m. CTMedical Marijuana May Return - 10/09/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3216.shtmlN.M. Governor Predicts Marijuana Legalization - 10/06/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread3163.shtml 
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