What is the availability of Meds in NM now?

[JohnMonad]

Are all of you able to get what you need in a timely manner?
Are you finding producers are out of stock most of the time?
In your opinion has the MCP here progressed in the last 8 or 9 months?
What changes would you like to see that will make it better for patients?

JohnMonad Reviewed by JohnMonad on 05-15-2011. What is the availability of Meds in NM now? Are all of you able to get what you need in a timely manner? Are you finding producers are out of stock most of the time? In your opinion has the MCP here progressed in the last 8 or 9 months? What changes would you like to see that will make it better for patients? Rating: 5

[SandiaBud]

Not getting meds in timely manner...still!! Most producers are out or place limits on orders. The program is in dire need of more producers. The program is in dire need of more staff etc. It is ridiculous if you ask me. The program has not progressed in the last several months. In fact, it seems to have come to a halt since the new gov took office. There is more confusion than clarity regarding program growth and development. The LNPP applicants have no idea if they have a chance of approval, or if any more will even be approved. The patients are having problems getting their meds in a timely and consistent manner.

[alfonso2002]

I live in Albuquerque and for the last 2-3- months have not had a problem getting meds anytime. I think that the DOH has done a good job approving producers to this point. But still DOH not up to speed with enough people to do all the work. You can not talk to any live person when you contact them.As for the producers I get an email almost daily that they have meds ready to sell. So I think there is going to be enough meds for the time being.If you can't find any meds now you are not looking. If you have not signed up with the producers that are out there do so almost all have meds.What I would like to see is the ability to "trade" or what not with other patients with ppls.

[SandiaBud]

There are simply NOT enough producers to meet the demand. Patients should not be required to register with ALL the producers just to be assured of obtaining meds consistently. Not only that, but ALL the producers carry different strains so if your favorite producer is out of the strain you desire, then what? The DOH has failed to approve producers in a fair consistent manner. There are multiple pending lawsuits and legal action against the DOH, challenging the practices and procedures currently being used to review the LNPP apps. Unless you happen to be a producer (or on the BOD of a producer) the DOH puts most everyone else on the back burner. They are EXPERTS at keeping all LNPP applicants in a cloud of confusion. Not knowing where they stand in the process is wrong. Stringing them along is wrong. I see alot of room for improvement in many areas. the most obvious is meeting the demand of the patients and this is NOT being accomplished. Sadly, a bunch of red tape and politics has been getting in the way of real progress and apparently there is no end in sight.....

[ManOBuds]

Although I see your point,it still beats NO medical cannabis program.

[CFO]

SandiaBud, it sounds like you are one of the plaintiffs in the current lawsuit. Whether or not that is so, the lawsuit is going to do nothing but slow down the licensure of any new producers. Some of the plaintiffs didn't even form their nonprofit corporation until September! NONE of the applications received have been denied and if they haven't been approved then their application is flawed and they need to amend the app as requested. There are also multiple producers in one part of the state and not enough applications are being received from the rest of the state. Most of the new producers are willing to take the time to help (for a fee) other applicants to help improve the applicant's submission. There are now 25 producers, but they have to have time to get setup and running. If there isn't enough medicine available, then why do so many producers continue to have excess? One northern NM producer's last email indicated a one OUNCE limit per patient! There are over 4,000 patients on the program now. There should be a shortage of medicine with that many patients vs LNPP, but there is not.

Look at joining each producer's organization as you would joining any other group. But the patient does NOT have to sign up with all of the producers. If one lives in Raton, he/she is not going to sign up with the LNPP in southern NM (unless that patient plans on risking the checkpoints and driving to the LNPP). It is advised that the patient register with more than one due to availability issues.

Keep in mind that NM is being left alone (pretty much) due to the restrictions in place. There are at least 3 patients on every board. This program is for the patients. Give it time to grow-up...the program is still in the infancy stage. It will get better given the chance. The best thing that could happen for the program at this point would be for the lawsuit to be dismissed so the staff at DOH could get back to the job at hand instead of having to redact thousands of pages of documents.

[SandiaBud]

CFO, I am NOT one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. I simply share some of their frustration. I am not an advocate of lawsuits nor am I a big fan of lawyers. I am very aware that the lawsuit(s) will do little more than stir up emotions AND further delay the review process. I respectfully disagree with the comments regarding med availability. If there is such an excess, then why do producers limit order amounts? Why do some of the websites state "We now have medicine"....point is...they were recently out of meds etc etc...
The review and approval process is anything but transparent. Although there has been no formal denials, most, if not all LNPP applicants have no indication of where they stand, what their chances are of approval or even if the DOH plans on any more approvals at all. This is where the frustration lies amongst most LNPP applicants. Obviously and according to most of the licensed producers, there will NEVER be enough supply to meet the demand. And when the supply does not meet the demand, it is the PATIENTS who continue to lose. Yes the program is about patients, but the trickle down effect from not having enough producers gives the patients the "short end of the stick".

[SandiaBud]

ManOBuds-
Our program might have its flaws and shortcomings but it is much better than no program at all.
Have a great day!

[alfonso2002]

The DOH will not be approving any more producers till they see that there is indeed a shortage still after the producers that were approved in jan. are up and running at full speed. The DOH wants there to be enough meds to supply all the patients but dose not want there to be too big of a oversupply. that would cause more problems. If you are having problems getting meds and can grow your own that would be a better way to go.But it is not cheap or easy thing to do if you want medical quality.

[SandiaBud]

Will the DOH ever see there is shortage? I believe it is more political than anything else....I mean even Cisco McSorley said we need at least double the producers we have now....as I stated earlier, most if not all of the current LNPP's would agree.

I wonder why the DOH will not simply tell LNPP applicants that there will be no more approvals in the forseeable future or "until they indeed see a shortage"? It is frustrating at best.