N.M. Medical Marijuana Bill Dies March 21, 2005
News Summary
Passed by the state Senate, a New Mexico medical-marijuana bill died quietly in the House without coming to a vote, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reported March 20.The bill passed 27-11 in the Senate, but was never brought to a vote in the House despite being referred there a week ago. "It wasn't that we didn't have the votes," said Reena Szczepanski, a lobbyist for the Drug Policy Alliance of New Mexico. "It was that somehow, we were trapped in the middle of a game."
Dubbed the Lynn Pierson Compassionate Use Act, SB-795 would have allowed marijuana to be produced and distributed to patients with debilitating diseases. Some lawmakers raised concerns about marijuana being an illegal drug under federal law, but Szczepanski stated, "There is no conflict with federal law the way we've crafted this bill. There really is no federal law issue with this bill."
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