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We Did It! New Mexico Medical Marijuana Bill Passes the Legislature
03.14.07|Drug Policy Alliance|Reena Szczepanski


The New Mexico House passed SB 523, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, by a vote of 36 to 31 on Tuesday! Thanks to your dedication and amazing support, the seriously ill and dying in New Mexico could finally have legal access to medical marijuana!

The New Mexico Senate quickly approved a House floor amendent today. The House floor amendment states that medical marijuana could not be distributed within 300 feet of any church, school or day-care center.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to get this bill through. The Governor deserves special thanks for this one! Please take the time to call or email the Governor and thank him for his unwavering support, and ask him to sign this bill into law.

The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act isn't the only bill the Governor needs to sign; SB 200, the 911 Good Samaritan legislation, also passed the House and is awaiting the Governor's signature. If the 911 Good Samaritan bill becomes law, New Mexico will be the first state in the country to have this law on the books. The bill will protect individuals from drug possession charges when they call 911 to save the life of a drug-related overdose victim.

Please help by calling the Governor's office at (505) 476-2200 and asking him to sign both SB523, the medical marijuana legislation, and SB200, the 911 Good Samaritan bill. You can also send him an email.

Here is a sample letter that you can submit to the Governor. Feel free to add in a special message saying why you personally support the bills. On the webpage to email the Governor, under "Issue," select "Legislative Session 2007/Constituent Comments" and then type in your message.

Dear Governor Richardson,

Thank you so much for your continuous support of medical marijuana legislation in New Mexico. Without your help, the seriously ill and dying in New Mexico wouldn't have the opportunity to legally use medical marijuana to help relieve their suffering. Thank you!

I ask that you sign SB523, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, to finally make this important bill a reality.

Another bill is also heading to your desk for final approval. SB 200, 911 Good Samaritan legislation, would provide limited immunity from drug possession charges when an individual calls 911 to save the life of an overdose victim. This legislation is such an important step to save lives in our state and I also ask that you sign SB 200.

Your dedication to saving lives makes me proud to be a New Mexican and proud that you are our governor!

Sincerely,
(Your Name)

This is just an example of something you could write when emailing the Governor. You can use similar language when making a phone call to the Governor and asking for him to sign SB 523 and SB 200.

In Brief

The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act would allow qualified patients suffering from certain serious illnesses such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and epilepsy to use marijuana for relief from their symptoms. Feel free to refer to our fact sheet or talking points before you call or send your email.

The 911 Good Samaritan bill addresses the overwhelming drug-related overdose death rates in New Mexico. One person dies from a drug-related death in New Mexico almost every day. This bill protects individuals from drug possession charges when they call emergency services to save the life of a potential overdose victim. For more information when talking or writing the Governor, you can refer to our fact sheet or talking points.

In other great news, House Memorial 75 and Senate Memorial 72, both passed their respective floor votes unanimously! The memorials direct the state Medicaid program to apply to the federal government for approval to include substance abuse treatment as a covered service for Medicaid recipients. These memorials are a great step to help New Mexicans gain access to substance abuse treatment services. If the amendment is accepted, over $10 million will be brought into New Mexico to increase substance abuse treatment!

Congratulations on our amazing progress so far. Thanks so much for calling or writing the Governor - and please feel free to forward this information to other individuals and email lists that might be interested. This is the final step for these bills. The more voices that speak up for SB 200 and SB 523, the more likely the Governor will sign them. If you have any questions please call us at (505) 983-3277.

Thanks for all you do!

__________________


"America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards." - Claire Wolfe

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reggie_the_dog

This is great, the governor pushed for this bill so he will likely sign it into law before weeks end. This is great news, hopefully they will do the same in Illinios, Minnesota and elsewhere.