New Mexico must issue medical marijuana cards to non-residents

A district judge in New Mexico made a final ruling ordering regulators to issue medical cannabis patient cards to qualifying out-of-state residents, but the governor’s office said it will appeal.

The ruling, if it stands, would inject additional sales into the market.

Here’s the latest on the case:

• Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued his permanent ruling after a hearing Thursday, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The judge made a similar initial ruling earlier this month.
• The state in part argued that the ruling could lead to MMJ products being transported across state lines.
• The case started when three out-of-state residents filed an emergency court petition challenging New Mexico’s denial of their medical marijuana patient card applications.
• In his initial ruling, Biedscheid agreed with the plaintiffs, but he gave the state time to argue why the ruling shouldn’t be permanent.

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