Madison NORML

This means that medical cannabis is now legal in nearly a quarter of U.S. states, and most of the Western states all the way to Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Bob Barr has become a congressional lobbyist for medical marijuana, trying to undo some of the harm he caused in Congress, before Cheryl Miller's tv commercial had him emptying his Longworth House Office Building office where she once had laid in the doorway. Will Mark Souder take his calls? Will John Mica see him? But if Bob Barr can change his mind, there is hope. And, Richardson, a presidential candidate willing to show his support for medical cannabis by first getting lawmakers to reconsider after multiple rejections, and two, to then sign the bill into law, sends a great signal to a field of candidates mostly too timid to talk about patients who can benefit from medical cannabis, while cancer is literally striking all around. Interestingly enough, in newly released fundraising totals, Richardson raised $6 million, placing him in fourth place among Dem candidates.

Medical pot legalized
Source: KRQE News 13 click here

Details of growing, distribution still unknown.

Gov. Bill Richardson signs the bill into law.

SANTA FE -- Seriously ill New Mexicans will soon legally be able to smoke marijuana to help reduce their pain.

Gov. Bill Richardson signed the medical marijuana bill into law this morning.

State lawmakers passed the controversial bill allowing the drug use during the last legislative session.

The Department of Health will administer the program and has until Oct. 1 to have the system in place.

The bill will allow an estimated 50 to 200 New Mexicans to smoke pot to alleviate their suffering.

Officials expect most of the patients who smoke it to have been diagnosed with cancer, HIV or glaucoma.

The bill faced tough opposition from some lawmakers who said allowing the use of medical marijuana would send the message that drug use is OK.

But the governor's signature on the bill today means New Mexico joins a handful of states that allow the use of medical marijuana.

"We're going to be successful in monitoring the use," Richardson said during the signing. "We made sure the bill included specifically define the serious conditions covered,

"The program will be supervised by panel of eight physicians and healthcare officials with expertise on these conditions."

Details about exactly how the program will work are still being explored.

The health department will have to find people to grow the marijuana. Those likely will be businesses experienced in growing herbs for medical purposes.

This new state law doesn't protect medical marijuana patients from prosecution.

According to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, prescribed users can still be arrested for breaking federal law.