Two of the current 25 medical cannabis producers did not renew their yearly licenses this month, Department of Health spokeswoman Aimee Barabe confirms.
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Barabe wouldn't say which producers they were, but SFR has narrowed the list down to Giving Tree Organics in Farmington and the Santa Fe Institute for Natural Medicine. Farmington resident and medical cannabis patient Krista Robbins says Giving Tree is no longer in operation, but that the recent opening of the nearby New Mexico Alternative Care, which got licensed more than a year ago, is filling the void on her prescription. Giving Tree reportedly closed over financial concerns. A phone number listed on its website appeared to be disconnected.
Paul Livingston, an attorney representing producer applicants in an ongoing lawsuit over the state's inability to certify new producers, and Medical Marijuana Radio host Larry Love are hearing that SFINM also didn't renew its license. Calls to SFINM went directly to voicemail and haven't been returned.
SFINM, known for its secrecy even within the medical cannabis community, was the state's first licensed producer. It served as many as 600 patients at one point.
It's not clear how the shutdown of both producers will affect patients; most get their medicine through multiple producers. But at the very least, it means less cannabis will be available to the program's growing number of patients unless the state certifies new producers or allows current ones to grow more supply.
