Bar Is Set High: Yet another nonprofit applying for a license to grow and distribute pot under New Mexico's medical marijuana program is running into trouble with the requirements imposed by the New Mexico Department of Health.
DOH rules mandate a nonprofit must have three medical marijuana patients on its board to receive a producer license. However, the DOH does not release the names of patients, leaving these nonprofits to post on Craigslist [Briefs, July 1: "Growing Like Weeds"] and place ads in newspapers to recruit.
Scott O'Rourke, who has been advertising in the Albuquerque area, says the only response he's received are from potential patients, not card-carrying ones, and that's one of the few things holding up his application. Anyone who is interested can reach O'Rourke at 908-310-7751 or by email at xyzscottydog@yahoo.com.
According to the DOH, there are 14 outstanding nonprofit applications under review, while one nonprofit—Santa Fe Institute for Natural Medicine, as reported by SFR [News, June 3: "Pot Plans"] has begun production.
As of July 1,440 patients had been approved for the program, however, 54 patients have not renewed their licenses and at least five are now deceased. Almost 70 patients are licensed to grow marijuana at home.
For the Record: On July 7, the Santa Fe County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance that raises prices for public information services.
The ordinance largely deals with the county's Geographic Imaging Systems, which includes maps, parcels and property lines. For example, the cost of large base maps jumped from $20 to $46, and the Santa Fe County Road Book went from $200 to $370.
On the bright side, the county reduced and simplified fees for electronic documents, including deeds and plats maintained by the County Clerk's Office.
Rage Against the Probation Board: It's been 32 years since Native American activist Leonard Peltier was convicted of murdering two FBI agents in a shoot-out at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
It's been 16 years since Rage Against the Machine launched Peltier into political pop culture with its music video for "Freedom."
It'll be a matter of days before Peltier has that shot at freedom; his case will be reviewed by the US Parole Commission on July 28.
Peltier's saga is closely linked with New Mexico; the shoot-out at Jumping Bull Ranch occurred only days after Peltier had returned from an American Indian Movement gathering in Farmington. AIM is asking supporters to call their congressmen. For more information, visit aimovement.org or myspace.com/freenativeamerica.
