Enrollment climbs and personal production licenses shrink as patients are unable to access adequate supply

(Albuquerque) – Active patient enrollment in New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program reached 107,371 patients as of January 31, 2021, according to data released by the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). This represents an increase of 25,600 patients or 31% over January 2020 enrollment. 

As patient enrollment grew substantially over the last 12 months, patients are choosing established licensed cannabis providers for their cannabis needs rather than seeking personal production licenses. The total number of personal production licenses shrank by 5% from January 31, 2020, to January 31, 2021. 

In addition to the 107,371 patients enrolled, the program is supporting another 7,954 reciprocal participants, according to data obtained via an Inspection of Public Records (IPRA) Request. 

Although the program is likely to continue supporting unprecedented enrollment figures, cannabis producers are prevented from growing more medicine to serve the expanding patient population due to arbitrary production limits. 

Currently, producers are capped at just 1,750 plants each to serve their patients. This rule was promulgated in August 2019 when there were just 77,144 patients enrolled. NMDOH was forced to raise the plant count after then District Court Judge David K. Thomson ruled the previous limit was arbitrary, capricious, and frustrated the purpose of the Medical Cannabis Program enabling legislation. 

This January, Ultra Health reopened the plant count lawsuit, as the new limit prevents providers from producing an adequate supply, statutorily defined as an uninterrupted, three-month supply of cannabis.

Under current regulations, the program would need 26,524,750 grams or 58,424 pounds of medical cannabis in stock to provide an adequate supply for the 107,371 patients and 7,954 reciprocal participants enrolled in the program. As of December 31, 2020, there were just 4,720,336 grams or 10,397 pounds in stock, according to data released by NMDOH. Based upon the limited amount of production allowed, the entire industry sold 31,434 pounds of cannabis in 2020, substantially below what has been deemed to be an adequate supply by NMDOH.