New Mexico adds anxiety to conditions treatable with medical marijuana

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New Mexico health officials added anxiety to the list of conditions that doctors can treat with medical marijuana, a move that could boost sales in MMJ dispensaries.

The move could expand the state’s medical marijuana program to thousands of new buyers, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

The New Mexico Medical Cannabis Advisory Board approved adding anxiety as a qualifying condition after citing that roughly 465,000 adults in the state suffer from the disorder.

The ruling goes into effect at the beginning of 2023.

The move encompasses all anxiety diagnoses, including:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder.
  • Social anxiety disorder.
  • Medication-induced anxiety disorder.
  • Panic disorder.
  • Some phobias.

Medical cannabis patients in New Mexico are exempt from paying tax on a limited amount of marijuana products.

The state’s MMJ program also recently updated its online patient portal to allow for electronic patient ID cards.

That likely will expedite the process for patients, who can now apply for ID cards through their medical providers.

These improvements to the medical marijuana program come after New Mexico launched an adult-use cannabis market in April.