New Mexico Legalizes Medical Marijuana

New Mexico governor and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson has signed a bill making New Mexico the twelfth U.S. state to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The law authorizes the state Department of Health to distribute marijuana to seriously ill patients. Patients must be certified by their doctors to receive the marijuana are not allowed to grow their own.

In an AP story appearing on FreeNewMexican.com, Gov. Richardson called the new law "a humane option for New Mexicans living with cancer, HIV and other serious medical conditions."

Gov. Richardson acknowledged that many law enforcement officials, including federal Drug Czar John Walters, were opposed to the new law. "So be it," he said.

Also See:
U.S. Drug Czar: Medical Marijuana No Longer a Political Issue
Supreme Court Upholds Medical Marijuana Ban
CA Cities Scramble to Regulate or Ban Medical Marijuana
Gov. Bill Richardson: A Plan to Prevent a Nuclear 9-11 (Liberal Politics)