Gary King is running for Governor of New Mexico. Below is a press release he unveiled involving his views on medical marijuana:
Statement: A Vote for Gary King is a vote to protect medical cannabis patients.
Caring for our own is a strong New Mexican value and a fundamental King family value. When people are in pain we should do everything we can to lessen their suffering. As your Governor I will use my power to protect and improve the Department of Health’s medical cannabis program and improve patient access to this medicine for all New Mexicans who need it by asking my Secretary of Health to make it a priority in his or her department.
All around the state people come up and tell me what being able to legally access marijuana means to them. I can see the truth in their eyes as they speak to me. During this campaign, patients and their loved ones have given me a deeper understanding of how absolutely critical the medical cannabis program is for thousands of our sickest and most vulnerable patients and their families. Whether a veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and is undergoing chemotherapy, a terminally ill cancer patient or a victim of violence suffering post-traumatic stress who hasn’t slept in 36 hours and cannot rest, I am committed to ensuring that all patients who need medical cannabis have safe and affordable access to their medicine.
Medical marijuana, a history of compassion in New Mexico…
I am proud that the New Mexico Legislature passed the Lynn Pierson Therapeutic Cannabis Act passed in 1978 and the Lynn Pierson and Erin Armstrong Compassionate Use Act in 2007. This compassionate response to the desperate needs of patients suffering from cancer, glaucoma and other debilitating diseases paved the way for hundreds of New Mexicans to find relief for their symptoms in a regulated system. Brave New Mexico women advocated for the passage of these laws, which not only provided relief for hundreds of New Mexicans, they also paved the way for 19 other states to enact similar legislation. As Governor I pledge to protect these laws and honor the legacy of the women who stood up for themselves, their families and other New Mexicans in need.
Medical marijuana and overdose death prevention…
Overdose death rates are at epidemic proportions across the nation and in our state. Medical marijuana is a safe and non-toxic alternative to opiate pain killers. Many people say that medical marijuana helps them abstain from self-medicating with alcohol or using more harmful
substances like narcotics to control their pain.
As New Mexico’s Governor I will reinvigorate our harm reduction efforts and will support Department of Health efforts to educate licensed health care providers in New Mexico about how medical marijuana can be an overdose prevention tool and about certifying patients through the New Mexico Department of Health.
Medical marijuana and pharmaceutical drugs…
Pharmaceutical drugs are helpful for many people, but not for everyone. For many people medical marijuana simply works better than pharmacy pills do to take away their pain, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, etcetera without giving them debilitating side effects, like suicidal ideation, that they have when they take pharmaceutical drugs.
Source: Gary King for Governor
