SANTA FE, NM –The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) will host a public hearing on proposed rule changes for its Medical Cannabis Program (MCP) Friday, July 12th at 9:00 am at the Harold Runnels Building, 1190 S. St. Francis Drive in Santa Fe. 

The hearing will address provisions proposed by the NMDOH last month to strengthen oversight of the program’s licensed non-profit producers (LNPPs) and their inventory from seedling to distribution.

The proposed rule changes also raise the plant count limit for producers to 1,750 plants, up from 450, in order to better assure patients have enough medicine in the specific strains needed for their qualifying conditions. 

The 1,750 plant limit would replace an emergency rule enacted in March allowing 2,500 plants for LNPPs while the department obtained data through surveys of both patients and producers. 

A hearing officer will complete a report summarizing public comment from Friday’s hearing. The report will be sent to the Department of Health Cabinet Secretary for review. All comments will be taken into consideration prior to the Secretary making a final ruling. That ruling is expected in August.