Business

Ultra Health Lauds Possible Medical Cannabis Expansion Bill

New Mexicans have long endured renewing their medical cannabis registry identification cards on a yearly basis. The ordeal may soon be over as the legislation pushed by Senator Jerry Ortiz v Pino to have the cards renewed every three years has been approved by the state legislature. The proposed medical expansion bill has also been sent to the desk of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

New Mexicans have long endured renewing their medical cannabis registry identification cards on a yearly basis. However, the ordeal may soon be over. Legislation pushed by Senator Jerry Ortiz v Pino to have the cards renewed every three years has been approved.

The medical cannabis cards

The proposed medical expansion bill has also been sent to the desk of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Senate Bill 406, which was passed by the House early in March, would free over 70,000 patients from paperwork.

Also included in the expansion bill is a proposal to allow more conditions included for medical marijuana. Patients suffering from substance use disorder and neurodegenerative dementia. Furthermore, those who are within autism spectrum disorder may soon be allowed medical marijuana treatment.

The process of medical cannabis cards validation might get easier. (Source)

Ultra Health, a medical cannabis dispensary which also ventured in hemp cultivation in December, lauded the development.

“Accessibility, affordability, quality. Those are the things that we care about. Anything we can do to add protections for the medical cannabis patients is a good thing ” said Kyle Safa, a project manager for Ultra Health.

Ultra Health to Include Hemp Cultivation in its Operations

Ultra Health received a production license in December to grow and cultivate hemp in its Bernalillo and Tularosa locations. In line with this, the company said it will designate a total of 872,000 square feet of its operations to hemp cultivation. The company also said that it will be dedicating its hub in Tularosa for cannabis commerce.

“By expanding our operations from solely medical cannabis to hemp cultivation and production, we look forward to providing medicine to meet each patient’s needs while also serving everyday consumers,” said CEO and President Duke Rodriquez in a statement.

The new facility will also accommodate other licensed producers headquartered in Mexico. Furthermore, Ultra Health also plans to incorporate sustainability in the process by using the latest in modern agribusiness and green technologies such as solar, wind, and rainwater harvesting. It also plans on taking advantage of natural sunlight and securing water rights to around 1,000 acre-feet of water. Per the release, this is equivalent to more or less 325.9 million gallons of water on an annual level.

(Source)

The 2018 Farm Bill

Last December 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill, which removes industrial hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. This marks the first legal cultivation and production of industrial hemp in nearly a century.

Furthermore, the Farm Bill also legalizes the interstate commerce of products made from hemp such as rope and textile. This allows farmers with full access to crop insurance, as well as giving governments the ability to choose separate requirements on hemp production for each state.

The opportunities hemp offers

Hemp supporters in Mexico are also anticipating the rejuvenation of the hemp industry, saying that farmers in New Mexico can benefit a lot from it. This is because of the various uses and opportunities that hemp presents, making it a lucrative crop that’s easy to grow and produce.

Hemp, a cousin of marijuana, has had a rich history when it comes to its various uses.

According to the NM Department of Health, New Mexico became the 12th state to legalize the use of regulated medical marijuana with the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act back in 2007.

(Featured Image by Proxyclick Visitor Management System)

Suzanne Mitchell

Suzanne Mitchell juggles the busy life of a full-time mom and entrepreneur while also being a writer-at-large for several business publications. Her work mostly covers the financial sector, including traditional and alternative investing. She shares reports and analyses on the real estate, fintech and cryptocurrency markets. She also likes to write about the health and biotech industry, in particular its intersection with clean water and cannabis. It is one of her goals to always share things of interest to women who want to make their mark in the world.

Recent Posts

Ontario Increases Efforts to Combat Illegal Cannabis Market

Ontario is investing $31 million over the next three years to enhance efforts against illegal…

5 days ago

Hanover and Frankfurt Will Be the First German Cities to Legally Sell Cannabis for Adult Use

Frankfurt and Hanover are launching five-year pilot projects for legal, regulated cannabis sales to adults,…

6 days ago

CBD Decree Suspended By Italian Administrative Court for Third Time

Italy's Regional Administrative Court suspended the Health Ministry's decree labeling CBD as a narcotic, pending…

1 week ago

Which U.S. States Will Vote on Cannabis Legalization in November 2024?

This November, five U.S. states will vote on measures related to legalizing recreational or medical…

2 weeks ago

Italy to Be Investigated By EU Commission Over Proposed CBD and Hemp Ban

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Italy after its recent proposal to ban…

2 weeks ago

Prolonged Cannabis Use May Leave a Unique DNA Signatures

A new study has found that prolonged use of high-THC cannabis leaves a unique mark…

2 weeks ago