Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana Card in New Mexico

How Many Medical Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana Treatment in New Mexico?

As of 2024, there are 30 qualifying medical conditions for joining the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program.

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Card in New Mexico 2024

To be eligible for a New Mexico medical cannabis card, a patient must be diagnosed with one or more of these qualifying medical conditions:

• Alzheimer's Disease
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Anxiety Disorder
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Cancer
• Crohn's Disease
• Damage to the Nervous Tissue of the Spinal Cord resulting in intractable spasticity
• Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder
• Friedreich's Ataxia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C Infection currently being treated with antiviral medications
• HIV/AIDS
• Hospice care
• Huntington’s disease
• Inclusion Body Myositis
• Inflammatory Autoimmune-mediated Arthritis
• Insomnia
• Intractable Nausea/Vomiting
• Lewy Body Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Opioid Use Disorder
• Painful Peripheral Neuropathy
• Parkinson’s disease
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Severe Anorexia/Cachexia
• Severe Chronic Pain
• Spasmodic Torticollis (Cervical Dystonia)
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy
• Ulcerative Colitis

Does New Mexico Add New Qualifying Conditions to its Medical Marijuana Program?

Yes. The New Mexico medical cannabis law allows for the expansion of the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions for medical cannabis treatment. This list has been expanded multiple times since the inception of the state’s medical cannabis program. A recent addition is the inclusion of insomnia on June 1, 2023. Residents of the state can petition the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board (MCAB) to add new qualifying conditions. The Board meets at least twice a year to consider these petitions and make final recommendations to accept or deny them to the New Mexico Department of Health.

Does New Mexico Allow Physicians to Recommend Medical Cannabis for Non-Qualifying Conditions?

No. In New Mexico, eligible medical providers can only recommend medical cannabis for conditions named on the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions. If a physician or patient believes a debilitating condition should be qualifying for medical cannabis treatment, they must petition the MCAB to review current evidence and consider recommending the condition for inclusion in the state’s list of qualifying medical conditions.

Do You Need a Doctor’s Recommendation for Medical Marijuana in New Mexico?

Yes. Patients enrolling in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program must obtain and provide written certifications from their medical providers. The state mandates that the recommending medical provider must have a bona fide provider-patient relationship with the individual they are recommending for medical cannabis use. Such providers must join the state’s medical cannabis program and be licensed to prescribe and administer drugs listed under the Controlled Substances Act. New Mexico accepts certifications issued by state-licensed doctors of medicine (MDs), doctors of osteopathy (DOs), and nurse practitioners.

Who Qualifies for a Medical Marijuana Card in New Mexico?

In addition to obtaining a medical certification confirming the diagnosis of a qualifying condition from an eligible medical provider, New Mexico requires anyone applying for its medical cannabis registry ID to also be a resident of the state. Both adults and minors residing in the state can apply for the state’s medical marijuana card. However, minors need the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

While non-residents cannot apply for a medical cannabis card in New Mexico, they can still access medical marijuana in the state. New Mexico’s cannabis reciprocity law makes it possible for visiting patients to buy medical cannabis in the state’s licensed dispensaries as long as they have valid medical cannabis cards, or equivalent, issued in their home states.