Insomnia Added to New Mexico Medical Cannabis List

We know by now it is illegal to consume cannabis recreationally in Texas - and there is a very narrow medical program here.

But business is booming in New Mexico and the Land of Enchantment just announced it is expanding its medical cannabis program.

The latest condition that will soon qualify is insomnia - an inability to sleep.

The New Mexico Department of Health's Medical Cannabis Program (MCP) announced insomnia will qualify for enrollment starting June 1, 2023.

A petition to the board to add insomnia was submitted in March and two months later it will now be on the list.

"Even though patients may access cannabis without a medical cannabis card through the adult use program, by including insomnia in the list of qualifying conditions, patients would have increased opportunity to discuss with their medical provider how cannabis can be used to impact their insomnia and help them sleep better," said NM Department of Health Secretary Patrick M. Allen. "From a health equity perspective, medical cannabis can offer a legal alternative to the expensive medications sometimes utilized by those suffering with insomnia."

Insomnia now becomes the 30th qualifying condition for the Medical Cannabis Program in New Mexico. The latest addition prior to insomnia was anxiety in December 2022.

Here is a list of the 30 qualifying conditions for the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program:

1. Alzheimer's Disease
2. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
3. Anxiety Disorder
4. Autism Spectrum Disorder
5. Cancer
6. Crohn's Disease
7. Damage to the Nervous Tissue of the Spinal Cord
8. Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder
9. Friedreich's Ataxia
10. Glaucoma
11. Hepatitis C Infection currently receiving antiviral therapy
12. HIV/AIDS
13. Hospice Care
14. Huntington's disease
15. Inclusion Body Myositis
16. Inflammatory Autoimmune-mediated Arthritis
17. Insomnia
18. Intractable Nausea/Vomiting
19. Lewy Body Disease
20. Multiple Sclerosis
21. Obstructive Sleep Apnea
22. Opioid Use Disorder
23. Painful Peripheral Neuropathy
24. Parkinson's disease
25. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
26. Severe Anorexia/Cachexia
27. Severe Chronic Pain
28. Spasmodic Torticollis (Cervical Dystonia)
29. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
30. Ulcerative Colitis

The program also allows for petitions for other conditions to be added to the list if a patient's condition doesn't qualify.

But if you're a Texas resident wanting to take advantage of New Mexico's cannabis offerings, just remember it will have to be done recreationally and NOT brought back into the Lone Star State.