Medical Marijuana Bill Clears House Judiciary, Heads to House Floor for Vote

A Senate substitute bill for SB 523, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, passed the House Judiciary Committee 10-3, sending the bill to the House floor for a vote.

After a motion to table the bill was voted down, committee members quickly approved the measure with no debate.

“We’re excited about the possibility of the bill getting a House floor vote,” said Reena Szczepanski. “This is an important issue to New Mexicans and it deserves a fair hearing on the House floor.”

SB 523, sponsored by Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-District 17, is mostly a duplicate of SB 238, the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act. SB 238 was killed in a contentious House floor vote last Thursday. SB 523 includes language specifically providing for the topical use of cannabis including patches, ointments, and suppositories. Last week, the Senate passed SB 523 by a 32-3 margin.

The Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act passed the Senate by a 34-7 margin last month. It narrowly failed in the House by a 36-33 margin after intense debate.