New Mexico in Focus; 507; Hanna Skandera and Medical Marijuana; New Mexico's Rough Riders

SRT Captions File Generated by MXFplus PARTIAL FUNDING FOR THIS PRODUCTION OF NEW MEXICO INFOCUS PROVIDED BY THE McCUNE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION >> AHEAD THIS WEEK, EDUCATION SECRETARY DESIGNATE HANNA SKANDAERA GIVES US THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO SCHOOLS AT THE START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. >> PLUS, IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE NEW MEXICO PASSED ITS MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW. BUT HOW IS THE PROGRAM WORKING NOW? NEW MEXICO INFOCUS STARTS NOW! >> THIS WEEK IS BACK TO SCHOOL

HERE IN ALBUQUERQUE, AS WELL AS MANY OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. THE NEW YEAR STARTS WITH LOADS OF PROMISE, AS WELL AS CONCERNS AND OBSTACLES. YEARS OF BUDGET CUTS WILL MEAN LARGER CLASS SIZES AND FEWER RESOURCES TO GO AROUND. AND THE STATE IS ONCE AGAIN REELING FROM THE LATEST ROUND OF ANNUAL YEARLY PROGRESS, OR AYP RESULTS. NOW, ACCORDING TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NEARLY 87% OF ALL NEW MEXICO SCHOOLS ARE NOT MAKING AYP TO MEET FEDERAL STANDARDS. AHEAD THIS WEEK ON NEW MEXICO INFOCUS, WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THOSE SCORES, AS WELL AS THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN NEW MEXICO AS A WHOLE, WITH EDUCATION SECRETARY DESIGNATE, HANNA SKANDERA. ALSO AHEAD THIS WEEK, GRADING OUR STATE'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOW IN ITS FOURTH YEAR. THE PROGRAM IS GROWING, ALTHOUGH NOT AS FAST AS SOME SUPPORTERS HAD HOPED. AND THERE IS STILL THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SENDING MIXED MESSAGES ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT EVEN CONSIDERS THE PROGRAM LEGAL. ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK, WE'LL TALK TO LAWMAKERS AND HEALTH OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS A PATIENT AND A CANNABIS GROWER WHO ARE

BOTH PART OF THE PROGRAM. BUT UP FIRST, THIS WEEK A CANDID CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR SCHOO WITH EDUCATION SECRETARY DESIGNATE HANNA SKANDERA. HERE'S NEW MEXICO INFOCUS CORRESPONDENT GWYNETH DOLAND. >> WE'RE TALKING A LOT THIS WEEK ABOUT "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND." IN YOUR OPINION, IS IT WORKING? >> I THINK THE INTENTIONS OF "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" ARE GREAT. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OUR KIDS BEHIND. AND WE WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE. BUT IT'S TIME TO RE-LOOK AT THAT LAW. IT WAS SENT UP FOR RE-AUTHORIZATION SEVERAL TIMES, BUT HASN'T MADE IT THROUGH. BUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE TO ME WITH "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" RIGHT NOW IS THAT IT'S A PASS-FAIL SYSTEM. SO YOU CAN BE MEASURED ON NEARLY 40 DIFFERENT MEASURES, AND IF YOU HAVE 39 OUT OF 40 CORRECT, RIGHT, MAKING IT, AND JUST ONE OFF, YOU CAN STILL NOT MAKE AYP. AND SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT ANOTHER SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW MEXICO, THAT CAPTURES MUCH MORE THAN AYP AND "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" IS ABLE TO. SO GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT MISSING THE MARK FOR WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR OUR STATE TODAY.

>> THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ALLOW STATES TO APPLY FOR SOME WAIVERS, AND YOU'VE SAID YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR ONE OF THOSE. WHAT WILL YOUR WAIVER ASK FOR? >> WE'LL BE LOOKING AT MOSTLY TAKING WHAT I SAID BEFORE. LET'S GET RID OF OUR PASS-FAIL SYSTEM, AND TAKE SCHOOL GRADING, WHICH IS AN INITIATIVE THAT JUST PASSED THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND WHAT SCHOOL GRADING DOES IS, YOUR GRADE IS BASED 50% ON GROWTH AND PROGRESS, AND 50% BASED ON, ARE KIDS ON GRADE LEVEL. TODAY WITH "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND," 100% IS BASED ON WHETHER YOUR KIDS ARE ON GRADE LEVEL, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE WANT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU'RE A 5TH GRADE TEACHER AND YOU HAVE STUDENTS COMING INTO YOUR CLASSROOM AT THE 2ND GRADE LEVEL, THREE YEARS BEHIND, AND YOU TAKE THOSE STUDENTS FROM 2ND GRADE LEVEL TO 4TH GRADE IN ONE YEAR'S TIME, SO TWO YEARS WORTH OF PROGRESS, ONE YEAR'S TIME, THAT'S AN AMAZING TEACHER. THAT'S A GREAT CLASSROOM. WE HAVE NO WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT TODAY. WITH OUR NEW SCHOOL GRADING SYSTEM, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY, GREAT WORK. YOU'RE MAKING THAT PROGRESS, AND

HONOR THAT AND CHAMPION IT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE ASKING FOR IN THE WAIVER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SECRETARY DUNCAN IS, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE OUR TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE SYSTEM AND KEEP THAT BAR HIGH. WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, THAT OUR KIDS ARE MAKING PROGRESS AND THAT THEY ARE ON GRADE LEVEL. AND WE'D LIKE TO REPLACE THE CURRENT PASS-FAIL SYSTEM OF "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND." SO WE'LL BE TAKING THAT AND ASKING FOR THAT FLEXIBILITY IN A WAIVER. SECONDLY, RIGHT NOW, ALL THIS LAST SUMMER, WE'VE HAD A GROUP MEETING TO LOOK AT TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS. GOVERNOR MARTINEZ TOOK AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AND ASKED FOR A GROUP OF TEACHERS TO COME TOGETHER. THEY DID THIS SUMMER. AND THEY ARE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW DO WE REWARD/RETAIN OUR HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY, AND OUR SCHOOL LEADERS. SO WE ARE COMING UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOVERNOR. WE'LL ALSO ASK FOR FLEXIBILITY TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGARDING -- INSTEAD OF HAVING A QUALIFIED TEACHER, WHICH CAPTURES STRICTLY YOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND YOUR

CREDENTIALING, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT MAKES A TEACHER REALLY EFFECTIVE, AND THAT'S LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM. >> LET ME GO BACK TO THE WAIVER FOR A MINUTE. WHEN YOU MENTIONED AYP EARLIER, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, THAT'S ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS. AND THE A THROUGH F SYSTEM, YOUR GOAL IS TO MEASURE THE GROWTH IN ONE YEAR, NOT JUST WHERE STUDENTS ARE AT THE END OF THE YEAR? >> CORRECT. AND, IN FACT, IN THE A-F SYSTEM, WE'LL BE TAKING THREE YEARS WORTH OF DATA. SO THERE'S LOTS OF CONCERNS ABOUT ONE TEST SCORE DETERMINING WHETHER A SCHOOL IS DOING WELL OR NOT WITH STUDENTS. SO WHAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS THREE YEARS WORTH OF DATA AND GROWTH OVER TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND IN THAT PROCESS, AS YOU CAN SEE, A THROUGH F, THAT'S A, B, C, D AND F, THERE'S FIVE DIFFERENT LEVELS, SO WE'RE DIFFERENTIATING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY INSTEAD OF JUST THAT PASS-FAIL. >> SO WHAT DO YOU THINK -- I MEAN, EVERY YEAR WE LOOK AT ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS, AND WE

ARE NOT DOING THAT WELL. >> YES. >> BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF A SCHOOL IS NOW GRADED WITH AN F? WHAT RECOURSE DO THE PARENTS HAVE? WHAT ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO DO? >> SO IN THE LEGISLATION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ESTABLISHED, IS THAT IF THE SCHOOL IS GETTING AN F, THEN PARENTS HAVE AN OPTION, AND THEY HAVE THIS UNDER "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND," AS WELL, AN OPTION TO TAKE THEIR CHILD TO ANOTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT. BUT WE ALSO ADDED THAT YOU HAVE AN OPTION TO TRY VIRTUAL LEARNING, OFFERED ANYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO GIVE OPTIONS FOR PARENTS. IN ADDITION, WHAT I REALLY AM EXCITED ABOUT IS EQUIPPING PARENTS WITH INFORMATION THAT'S MEANINGFUL TO THEM. UNDER "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" TODAY, YOU CAN LABEL A SCHOOL IN NEED OF IMPROVEMENT YEAR 3. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO A PARENT? NOT A WHOLE LOT. SO WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS, THAT A PARENT HAS INFORMATION THAT MAKES SENSE, IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND, SO THEY'RE EQUIPPED TO BE ENGAGED, INVOLVED AND MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. WHAT I WOULD ANTICIPATE, IF A SCHOOL HAS AN F, NOT ONLY WILL WE LOOK AT THE PUBLIC EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT AND ACROSS THE STATE TO FOCUS RESOURCES AND ENERGY TO MAKE SURE WE CAN REALLY INTERVENE QUICKLY IN OUR FAILING SCHOOLS, BUT SECONDLY, I WOULD EXPECT PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SAY, THIS IS OUR SCHOOL. THIS IS OUR COMMUNITY. WE BELIEVE IN BEING EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. >> YOU KNOW, WE ASKED FOR SOME QUESTIONS ON OUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ACCOUNTS, AND WE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKING A LOT OF THE BLAME WHEN THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT IN THE SCHOOLS. HOW MUCH OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR STUDENTS WHO AREN'T WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIES WITH PARENTS, AND HOW MUCH IS WITH TEACHERS, AND HOW MUCH IS WITH THE COMMUNITY? >> THERE'S TWO THINGS WE KNOW BASED ON RESEARCH, AND THAT IS THAT PARENTS AND COMMUNITY ARE UNBELIEVABLY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR KIDS. SECONDLY, OUR TEACHERS ARE OUR PRIMARY CHANGE AGENTS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THEY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHER, VERSUS ONE THAT'S JUST AVERAGE, IS

SIGNIFICANT OVER TIME. SO TEACHERS ARE A HUGE PART OF CREATING THE CHANGE WE NEED HERE IN NEW MEXICO. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THIS. WE HAVE FAILED OUR TEACHERS. WE HAVE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE AMAZING TEACHERS, THOSE WHO ARE DOING TWO YEARS WORTH OF PROGRESS IN ONE YEAR'S TIME, AND IT'S HIGH TIME WE SAID, WE WANT TO HONOR YOU AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING BASED ON STUDENT LEARNING AND GROWTH. I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT TODAY, WHAT WE LOOK AT IS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALING WHEN IT COMES TO INCREASING YOUR PAY. WELL, THOSE AREN'T NECESSARILY THE KEYS FOR AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER. THEY ARE PART OF IT, BUT THEY'RE NOT CAPTURING -- NOWHERE ARE WE CAPTURING OUR STUDENTS LEARNING. SO IT'S TIME THAT THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO SAYS, WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR TEACHERS AND OUR SCHOOL LEADERS ARE THE CHANGE AGENTS IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT, WE'RE GOING TO HONOR THEM, WE'D LIKE TO REWARD THEM, AND WE WANT TO RAISE THEIR PROFILE, IF YOU WILL, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. I THINK AS I GO ACROSS THE STATE AND TALK TO TEACHERS, I HAVE

SENSED THEY'RE DISCOURAGED, AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A WAY TO HONOR AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT PROGRESS THEY ARE MAKING. IN ADDITION, I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THE TEACHING PROFESSION AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE STEWARDING OUR CHILDREN. THAT'S THE NEXT GENERATION. THAT'S OUR FUTURE HERE IN THE STATE. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK AND THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING? >> WE GOT A QUESTION FROM A TEACHER THAT WAS PUT VERY WELL, AND I'LL READ IT TO YOU EXACTLY AS HE WROTE IT. HE SAID: "THEY DON'T BLAME DOCTORS AND NURSES FOR EPIDEMIC RISES IN OBESITY AND DIABETES, NOR DO THEY THREATEN THEIR INCOME WITH MERIT PAY. THEY DON'T BLAME POLICEMEN FOR INCREASING CRIME RATES, THEY DON'T BLAME FIREMEN FOR WILDFIRES BURNING OUT OF CONTROL. SO WHY DO THEY BLAME TEACHERS AND THREATEN OUR PAY OVER SO MANY VARIABLES THAT EFFECT TEST SCORES?" >> THAT IS AN ARTICULATE QUESTION. A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS ON THAT. NUMBER ONE, TEACHING IS THE ONLY PROFESSION, ACTUALLY, WHERE WE ARE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING

EFFECTIVENESS. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT DOCTORS AND LAWYERS, FOLKS CAN VOTE WITH THEIR FEET. THEY GO WHERE THEY BELIEVE THE BEST DOCTOR IS. AND, IN FACT, IF YOU'RE NOT A GREAT DOCTOR, YOU CAN LOSE YOUR LICENSE. HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, AND THIS IS COMMON ACROSS THE NATION, WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED TENURE. AND AFTER TWO YEARS, ACTUALLY, HERE IN OUR STATE, OUR TEACHERS HAD TENURED, AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO LOSE YOUR LICENSE. AND I'M DOING THE COMPARISON TO DOCTORS AND LAWYERS, ETC. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE IS, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK OUR TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS ARE DOING, I ALSO THINK, THOUGH, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE NOT MADE THIS PROFESSION LIKE ANY OTHER PROFESSION. I WILL TELL YOU THIS LAST SESSION, I WAS IN THE ROUNDHOUSE, AND THIS IS AN ANECDOTAL STORY THAT I THINK CAPTURES IT SO WELL. I WAS ON THE ELEVATOR, STANDING NEXT TO THIS GAL, AND SHE SAID, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND I SAID, WELL, I WORK IN EDUCATION. AND I SAID, WHAT DO YOU DO? AND SHE SAID, OH, I'M AN ARCHITECT.

AND I SAID, OH, GREAT. AND WE STARTED TALKING, AND SHE SAID, WELL, I USED TO BE A TEACHER. AND I SAID, WELL, WHY AREN'T YOU ANYMORE? AND SHE SAID, I WAS TIRED OF GOING TO MY CLASSROOM EVERY DAY, WORKING WITH EXCELLENCE AND BEING A GREAT TEACHER, AND RIGHT NEXT DOOR THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY LEFT 8:00 TO 3:00, WAS NOT AS COMMITTED, AND EVERYONE KNEW IT, AND SHE ACTUALLY WAS PAID MORE BECAUSE SHE HAD BEEN IN THE SYSTEM LONGER, SO IT WAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE VERSUS EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND SHE SAID, I WANTED TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED FOR MY EXCELLENCE. AND SO THAT'S -- WE'RE MISSING THAT ABILITY TO SAY, WE HAVE GREAT TEACHERS, WE'RE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, AND REWARD THEM ACCORDINGLY. >> I HEAR YOU SAYING, IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHY DO WE BLAME TEACHERS, THAT SOME TEACHERS DO DESERVE BLAME. >> I WOULDN'T FRAME IT THAT WAY. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, TODAY, WHEN WE EVALUATE TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A TWO-PRONGED EVALUATION. YOU EITHER MEET COMPETENCY, OR YOU DON'T MEET COMPETENCY. WHAT OTHER SYSTEM -- THINK ABOUT THE JOBS AND REVIEWS YOU'VE HAD. WHEN DO YOU HEAR, OH, YOU'RE

MEETING COMPETENCY? AND THAT'S AS GOOD AS YOU CAN DO. THAT'S NOT GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE GREAT CHANGE. ON THE OTHER HAND, AND I THINK MOST OF OUR TEACHERS -- HALF MY FAMILY ARE TEACHERS, SO I HAVE CLEARLY A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THE AMAZING WORK THAT MANY TEACHERS DO. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT ALSO IS A PROFESSION. WHEN WE ARE NOT BEING EFFECTIVE IN OUR CLASSROOMS, AND EFFECTIVENESS BASED ON OUR STUDENTS LEARNING AS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, WHEN WE ARE NOT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ADDRESS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND IN OUR DISTRICTS TODAY. AND IT'S TIME THAT WE HONOR THOSE WHO ARE EFFECTIVE, AND ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN WE ARE NOT DOING WELL, AND PROVIDE THE TRAINING, THE NECESSARY TRAINING THAT A TEACHER WHO IS STRUGGLING NEEDS. BUT OVER TIME, IF THAT TEACHER IS UNABLE TO BECOME EFFECTIVE, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, LIKE WE WOULD IN ANY OTHER PROFESSION, IS THAT THE BEST PROFESSION? AND TODAY, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR OUR SCHOOL LEADERS AND SUPERINTENDENTS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, AND I THINK IT'S HIGH

TIME THAT WE DID. >> ARE TEACHERS UNIONS TOO POWERFUL? >> YOU KNOW, I WAS ASKED THAT JUST THE OTHER DAY, AND HERE IS WHAT I WOULD SAY ABOUT TEACHERS UNIONS. I THINK SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, DO YOU GET ALONG WITH TEACHERS UNIONS? AND HERE IS MY BOTTOM LINE. WHEN TEACHERS UNIONS ARE PUTTING KIDS INTERESTS FIRST, WE GET ALONG EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. WHEN ADULT INTERESTS TRUMP STUDENT INTERESTS, I WILL TELL YOU, IT'S MY JOB, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR KIDS INTERESTS BEING PUT FIRST. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT'S THE BAROMETER. IT'S NOT POWER, OR LACK OF POWER, IT'S, ARE WE MAKING DECISIONS IN EDUCATION THAT PUT OUR KIDS FIRST AND PUT THEIR INTERESTS FIRST. AND I WILL TELL YOU, SOME OF THE TIME WE'RE NOT. IT IS VERY EASY FOR EDUCATION TO BECOME ALL ABOUT ADULTS, AND THEN WE'RE MISSING THE MARK, AND SHAME ON US. >> EARLIER WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IF THE SCHOOL ISN'T MEETING ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS, AND UNDER THE NEW BILL, THE NEW LAW, THE A THROUGH F GRADING, IF THE SCHOOL GETS AN F, THEN PARENTS

WILL BE ABLE TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT. WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF IF STUDENTS GOT TO MAKE THAT CHOICE FROM THE BEGINNING, NO MATTER WHAT THE GRADE OF THEIR SCHOOL? >> I DO BELIEVE, AND GOVERNOR MARTINEZ HAS TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING EFFECTIVE OPTIONS FOR PARENTS. WE HAVE CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THIS STATE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SCHOOL. WE NEED TO EMPOWER PARENTS WITH DECISIONS THAT THEY CAN MAKE ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. SO I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO CONSIDER, AND HENCE THE VIRTUAL LEARNING, AS WELL, TO PROVIDE OPTIONS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND HOW WE'VE GOT RURAL AREAS, AND I THINK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, OF VIRTUAL LEARNING, AND WHAT IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO LEARN JAPANESE, EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN A VERY SMALL RURAL COMMUNITY WHERE THERE ISN'T A TEACHER WHO TEACHES JAPANESE, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND EQUIP OUR PARENTS AND OUR STUDENTS. THOSE OPTIONS ARE GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT. >> BUT WOULD WE BE BETTER OFF? >> FUNDAMENTALLY, I BELIEVE EQUIPPING OUR PARENTS WITH CHOICES IS ALWAYS A BETTER

OPTION, OR OPPORTUNITY. WE KNOW THAT ENGAGED PARENTS MEAN MORE EFFECTIVE CLASSROOMS, SCHOOLS, AND A BETTER EDUCATION. >> WHY NOT LET THEM CHOOSE? I MEAN, WHAT'S YOUR ARGUMENT AGAINST LETTING PARENTS CHOOSE WHATEVER SCHOOL THEY WANT? >> I DON'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT AGAINST THAT. I THINK PARENTS SHOULD BE VERY ENGAGED. SO WHEREVER WE CAN EQUIP OUR PARENTS TO ENGAGE, WE WILL. >> OKAY. SO GOING BACK TO THE TEACHERS, JUST BRIEFLY, WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR RETAINING THE BEST OF THOSE TEACHERS? I MEAN, HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE THEM AND REWARD THEM, BESIDES PRAISE? >> THIS WORK GROUP THAT'S GATHERED RIGHT NOW, THAT'S MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR AT THE END OF THE MONTH -- SO I'D LOVE TO COME BACK AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED -- THEY'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT IDEAS. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE -- IN NEW MEXICO, WE'VE GOT AREAS, SUBJECT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SHORTAGES OF TEACHERS. SO WHAT IF, AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, WHAT IF YOU WERE ABLE TO,

AS A PRINCIPAL, PAY MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS MORE, SO YOU COULD RECRUIT THEM, AND ENCOURAGE FOLKS FROM THE FIELD THAT MAY BE WORKING NOT AS A TEACHER, BUT COULD CHOOSE A TEACHING PROFESSION IF WE COULD REWARD THEM WITH ADDITIONAL STIPEND, OR MONIES TO ATTRACT THEM TO THE PROFESSION. SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT. HOW DO WE ATTRACT EVEN THOSE WHO AREN'T EVEN CURRENTLY IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION, AND BRING THEM TO THE TEACHING PROFESSION? AND ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAS BEEN ON THOSE SHORTAGE AREAS IS, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO THINK ABOUT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO TEACHERS WHERE WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME STAFFING. >> IS THAT MERIT PAY? >> THAT WOULD NOT BE MERIT PAY. THAT WOULD BE BASED ON SHORTAGES. BUT THERE ALSO HAS BEEN A GREAT CONVERSATION AROUND MERIT PAY. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE PAY OUR TEACHERS TODAY -- AND LET ME JUST SAY, I AM WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR PAYING OUR TEACHERS MORE WHEN IT'S LINKED TO EFFECTIVENESS.

TODAY OUR PAY IS LINKED TO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALING. AND AS I SAID EARLIER, WHILE I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, NOWHERE IN THERE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT EFFECTIVENESS WHEN WE COMES TO STUDENT LEARNING. WE ARE MISSING THE MARK. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SCHOOL AND WHAT SCHOOL IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS TODAY, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, GO ACROSS THE STATE AND ASK ANY PERSON, WHAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS TODAY, THEY'LL SAY, I HOPE IT'S LEARNING. SO, WHY ARE WE NOT CAPTURING THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING WHEN IT COMES TO PAY? SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL ESTABLISH THE -- I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF TEACHERS WHO FELT LIKE THE RESPECT FOR THE TEACHING PROFESSION IS GOING DOWN. THAT'S NOT JUST HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, THAT'S ACROSS THE NATION. AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS WE HAVE FAILED TO ESTABLISH SOME WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING EFFECTIVENESS THAT GOES BEYOND THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND CREDENTIALING WE CURRENTLY HAVE. >> WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW STUDENTS

ARE LEARNING, ARE THERE WAYS TO EVALUATE THAT WITHOUT GETTING STUCK ON STANDARDIZED TESTS AND WITHOUT JUST TEACHING TO THE TEST? >> I'VE OFTEN SAID THIS ABOUT THE TEACHING TO THE TEST. NUMBER ONE, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR TESTS HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, FIRST, EVERY TEST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY -- THE STANDARD, I SHOULD SAY, THAT FOLKS ARE BASING THESE TESTS AND DEVELOPING THE TESTS ON, THE STANDARDS ARE ESTABLISHED BY NEW MEXICO TEACHERS FOR NEW MEXICO KIDS. AND SO THEY'RE OUR STANDARDS. WE OWN THOSE. WE'VE ESTABLISHED THESE PRIORITIES WITH, WHAT IS IT IMPORTANT THAT OUR STUDENTS LEARN? THEN, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S THIS IDEA OF, OH, THERE'S A TESTING COMPANY SOMEWHERE ON THE EAST COAST, OR SOMETHING, THAT MAKES THESE TESTS, AND THEY DON'T REPRESENT OUR KIDS, THEY DON'T REPRESENT WHAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. OUR STANDARDS AND OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR KIDS ARE ESTABLISHED BY NEW MEXICO TEACHERS AND PEOPLE HERE IN NEW MEXICO. THEN OUR TESTS ARE DEVELOPED, AND THE TEST ITEMS ARE ACTUALLY DEVELOPED BY OUR TEACHERS, AS WELL.

THEN THEY GO TO THE EAST COAST, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE ARE SYMMETRICALLY CORRECT. AND I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY, WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHING TO THE TEST, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE SAID ARE IMPORTANT. WE ARE CAPTURING IN OUR ASSESSMENTS THE THINGS THAT WE WANT OUR KIDS TO KNOW, AND THE EXPECTATIONS ARE WHAT WE SAID WE BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO. SO SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE WE GET STUCK ON THE ASSESSMENT AND TEACHING TO IT, AND WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS, NUMBER ONE, GREAT TEACHERS, THEY DON'T GET STUCK ON TEACHING TO THE TEST. YOU CAN THINK BACK ON, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP AND THE AMAZING TEACHERS YOU HAD, AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE GREAT TEACHERS I HAD, I WAS WELL EQUIPPED FOR THE TESTS I TOOK, AND IT WASN'T ABOUT TEACHING TO THE TEST. BUT THAT FLIP SIDE OF THE COIN IS, WE'VE SAID, WHAT'S IN THAT TEST WE BELIEVE IS CAPTURING THE THINGS THAT HERE IN NEW MEXICO WE SAID ARE IMPORTANT THAT OUR KIDS LEARN AT EACH GRADE LEVEL. SO IT'S A TWO -- I GUESS I HAVE A TWO-PRONGED ANSWER. NUMBER ONE, GREAT TEACHERS THAT

I'VE HAD IN MY PAST HAVE NEVER GOTTEN STUCK ON THAT TEACHING TO THE TEST, AND THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT REALLY DID GREAT ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS. SECONDLY, THOSE ASSESSMENTS ARE CAPTURING WHAT WE SAY IS IMPORTANT. SO WE WANT OUR KIDS TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION AND THAT MATERIAL, SO THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL. >> WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T CAPTURE ON THESE TESTS? YOU KNOW, WE NEVER SEEM TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR EDUCATION, AND THE THINGS THAT GET THROWN TO THE WAYSIDE ARE ART, MUSIC, THINGS LIKE THAT. HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE STILL GETTING A WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION WITHOUT ENOUGH MONEY OR ENOUGH PRESSURE FROM TESTS TO DO IT? >> SO I GUESS THERE'S A COUPLE OF -- YOU SAID SOME THINGS THAT I WOULD WANT TO IMPACT A LITTLE BIT MORE. NUMBER ONE, RESOURCES ARE IMPORTANT, ABSOLUTELY. BUT FOR TOO LONG, WE HAVE USED RESOURCES AS AN EXCUSE TO NOT REALLY ENGAGE THE FACT THAT OUR KIDS STILL NEED TO LEARN. IS IT OKAY THAT -- IN THE LAST

TEN YEARS, ACTUALLY, WE DID HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN EDUCATION. WE WERE DOING VERY WELL AS A STATE, FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, ETC. AND OUR ACHIEVEMENT DID NOT HIT THE MARK. WE WERE CONSISTENTLY RATED 49TH, 50TH, WHETHER IT WAS 4TH GRADE READING OR GRADUATION RATES. SO WHEN WE PRESUME THAT MONEY IS THE ANSWER FOR EFFECTIVENESS IN OUR CLASSROOMS, AND SUCCESS FOR OUR KIDS, I THINK WE'RE MISSING THE MARK. I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WE KNOW THAT MONEY IS NOT THE CHANGE AGENT. OUR TEACHERS, OR PARENTS, AND OUR SCHOOL LEADERS ARE THE CHANGE AGENTS. AND I BELIEVE WE NEED TO PUT OUR FOCUS WHERE WE KNOW WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND THAT'S WITH OUR PEOPLE, AND NOT USE MONEY AS AN EXCUSE IN THIS MARKET. I ALSO SAY THAT BECAUSE JUST RECENTLY, A REPORT CAME OUT AND IT RANKED NEW MEXICO, AND WE WERE NEAR THE BOTTOM WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVEMENT. IN FACT, IT GAVE US AN F. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE

EXPENDITURES AND OUR INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK ACROSS THIS NATION. SO I BELIEVE THAT MONEY IS IMPORTANT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S A CHANGE AGENT, AND I BELIEVE -- WHAT'S THE WORD? I HIT PAUSE, AND WHEN WE HAVE MORE MONEY, THEN WE'LL START BEING EFFECTIVE AGAIN. WE CAN'T DO THAT. THIS IS OUR NEXT GENERATION, THIS IS OUR FUTURE. IS IT HARD? ABSOLUTELY. IS IT A MUST? ABSOLUTELY. >> WE'VE ONLY GOT A FEW MINUTES LEFT. I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE FAVORITE IDEAS THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT TO NEW MEXICO? NOT NECESSARILY YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES, BUT THREE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ARE THE MOST INNOVATIVE THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE HAPPEN. >> I WOULD SAY, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A SILVER BULLET IN EDUCATION, BUT I THINK THERE ARE KEY IDEAS, AND YOU'VE SAID, THAT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND ONE IS ENGAGING OUR PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES IN A MEANINGFUL WAY SO THAT THEY ARE A PART OF ENSURING THAT WE HAVE EFFECTIVE CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS. I BELIEVE SCHOOL GRADING DOES THAT. IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

WE'RE CAPTURING PROGRESS AND GROWTH IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. SO A KEY POINT IS, ENGAGE PARENTS AND COMMUNITIES, AND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU CAN'T GET WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE STARTING FROM. SO I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE A FIRST. SECOND, SO SIMPLE: LITERACY. YOU ASKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SUBJECT AREAS. WELL, I AM A HUGE SUPPORTER OF ALL THE SUBJECT AREAS, AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE ALL IMPORTANT, BUT IF OUR KIDS CAN'T READ, WE ARE SETTING THEM UP FOR FAILURE IN ALMOST EVERY OTHER SUBJECT AREA. SO A REAL SIMPLE IDEA OF, LET'S MAKE SURE OUR KIDS CAN READ. AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, KINDERGARTEN, 1ST, 2ND, 3RD GRADE, OUR CHILDREN ARE LEARNING HOW TO READ. AFTER THAT, 4TH GRADE ON, THEY ARE READING TO LEARN. IF WE SEND THEM FORWARD UNABLE TO READ, WE, THE ADULTS, ARE SETTING OUR KIDS UP FOR FAILURE, WHEN SCHOOL AND THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND EDUCATION IS THAT WE'RE SETTING OUR KIDS UP FOR SUCCESS. >> LAST THING? >> THE FINAL THING IS, REALLY ACKNOWLEDGING OUR EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS.

WE'RE FAILING AT THAT RIGHT NOW, AND UNTIL WE ADDRESS THAT, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE NOT EQUIPPING OUR TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS AND HONORING THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY DESERVE AND SHOULD BE. SO THOSE WOULD BE THE THREE THINGS >> HANNA SKANDAERA, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. >> ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. >> LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT GWYNETH'S INTERVIEW WITH SECRETARY SKANDERA. JUST SHOOT US AN EMAIL AT INFOCUS AT KNME.ORG, OR GIVE US A CALL AT 277-1246. WE MAY EVEN SHARE SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS IN AN UPCOMING EPISODE. ON A DIFFERENT NOTE NOW, NEW MEXICO'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM JUST TURNED FOUR YEARS OLD. IN 2007, THE LYNN AND ERIN COMPASSIONATE USE ACT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON. IT REMOVES STATE-LEVEL CRIMINAL PENALTIES ON THE USE OF CANNABIS FOR QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. TODAY, THERE ARE 25 LICENSED GROWERS AND NEARLY 4000 PATIENTS USING THE MEDICINE TO ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS CAUSED BY DEBILITATING MEDICAL CONDITIONS. WITH A NEW GOVERNOR IN SANTA FE, AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

THREATENING OTHER STATE PROGRAMS, WE ASKED NMIF CORRESPONDENT PETER ST. CYR TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE STATUS OF OUR OWN STATE PROGRAM. >> THANKS GENE. HERE TO HELP EXPLORE THIS ISSUE WITH US IS DOMINICK ZURLO. HE'S WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM. ALSO WITH US IS STATE SENATOR CISCO MCSORLEY, WHO REPRESENTS THE UNM AREA THROUGH NOB HILL. ALL THE WAY UP TO KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE. ALSO WITH US IS LEN GOODMAN. HE'S ONE OF THE STATE'S LICENSD MEDICAL CANNABIS GROWERS. AND JOEL WHITE, A PROGRAM PATIENT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US. >> THANK YOU >> SO, MEDICAL MARIJUANA HAS BEEN A CLASS I CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE FOR YEARS. THE DEA CLASSIFIED IT BACK, I BELIEVE, IN THE 1970S, AND IT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF INTENSE DEBATE BETWEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MANY OF THE STATES WHO HAVE MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAMS. AND YET, IT SEEMS THAT THE

PUBLIC, OVERWHELMINGLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT PUBLIC OPINION POLLS, SUPPORT THIS AS A LEGITIMATE DRUG FOR SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS. SO, DOMINICK, HOW IS THE NATIONAL DEBATE ON THE PUBLIC POLICY VERSUS DRUG TRAFFICKING IMPACTING NEW MEXICO'S PROGRAM? >> WELL, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS, IT'S ILLEGAL ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, SO WE ARE BEING VERY CAREFUL SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT THE PATIENTS IN THE PROGRAM, THE PRODUCERS, THE STAFF. WE WANT TO PROTECT EVERYBODY, AS POSSIBLE. SO WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING THE PROGRAM CAUTIOUSLY, BUT ALSO ENSURING THAT WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PATIENT AS BEST AS WE CAN, WHILE STILL KEEPING THEM AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ARRESTS FROM A FEDERAL LEVEL. SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT >> AND SENATOR McSORELY, THIS YEAR SOME OF THE U.S. ATTORNEYS IN OTHER STATES STARTED SENDING GOVERNORS AND ATTORNEY GENERALS THREATENING LETTERS. NEW MEXICO, WHEN WE CHECKED WITH THE U.S. ATTORNEY HERE, THEY HAD NOT SENT A SIMILAR

LETTER. YET, WE SEE DEA MAKING RAIDS IN MONTANA, CLEARING OUT CROPS IN SIX CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE FEDS ARE GOING TO AGGRESSIVELY BE PURSUING THIS. YET WHEN ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER VISITED NEW MEXICO, I THINK IN JUNE OF 2009, HE PROPOSED LATER THAT YEAR IN A MEMO CALLED "THE HOLDER MEMO" THAT THE FEDS WEREN'T GOING TO BE AGGRESSIVELY GOING AFTER GROWERS AND PATIENTS. WHAT CHANGED? >> IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT CHANGED. THE SPECIFIC WORDING OF THESE LETTERS DOESN'T NECESSARILY DIRECTLY CONTRAST WITH THE HOLDER MEMO. IT'S JUST THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FOLLOW THE LAW TO THE LETTER OF THE VARIOUS LETTERS, AS OPPOSED TO THE MEMO THAT SAYS, WE ARE NOT GOING TO HOLD THIS IN A HIGH PRIORITY. SO WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT CHANGED.

WE'RE NOT SURE IF THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH OTHER STATES' PROGRAMS, OR IF THERE WERE PERCEIVED PROBLEMS. WE ARE NOT SURE WHERE THE DEA IS ON ANY OF THESE ISSUES RIGHT NOW. >> THERE WAS A BILL IN THIS YEAR'S LEGISLATURE TO REPEAL IT. IT QUICKLY DIED IN COMMITTEE. SUSANA MARTINEZ, THE GOVERNOR, CAMPAIGNED IN 2010 SAYING THAT SHE WAS AGAINST THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE LEGISLATURE DURING THE MARTINEZ ADMINISTRATION? >> I THINK THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO GO, AND THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY CHANCE UNDER THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE MAKEUP THAT THE PROGRAM WILL BE CLOSED DOWN. THE PEOPLE ARE WAY AHEAD OF THE POLITICIANS ON THIS, AND NONE OF THE POLITICIANS THAT VOTED FOR THE PROGRAM HAVE BEEN DEFEATED BASED ON THEIR VOTE FOR THIS PROGRAM. >> LET'S STICK WITH YOU, SENATOR, FOR A MINUTE. YOU WERE ONE OF THE EARLY SUPPORTERS, YOU AND GARY JOHNSON, IN PUTTING TOGETHER A

PROGRAM LIKE THIS AFTER LAWSUITS BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES. DO YOU THINK WE ARE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE BETWEEN THE FEDS AND THE STATE'S RIGHT TO DETERMINE ACCESS TO MEDICAL HEALTH CARE, LIKE MEDICAL MARIJUANA? >> ABSOLUTELY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THE FEDS ARE GOING TO LET THIS BE PLAYED OUT IN A POLITICAL ARENA, AND THEY ARE GOING TO FORCE IT INTO THE COURTS. I THINK GIVEN TIME, AND A VERY SHORT TIME, MOST LEGISLATURES IN THE COUNTRY WILL GO TO A LEGALIZED MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM. BUT AS THE DEA TRIES TO CLAMP DOWN, WHICH MIGHT ALSO BE A REASON FOR THEIR CLAMPING DOWN, THEY SEE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE WAY AHEAD, AND THAT THE POLITICIANS ARE FOLLOWING CLOSE BEHIND, AND THAT THAT'S THE REASON THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO CLAMP DOWN NOW TO JUSTIFY THEIR POSITION IN PUTTING IT AND KEEPING IT IN SCHEDULE I. SO IT MIGHT BE THAT THIS WILL

ALL HAVE TO PLAY OUT IN THE COURTS, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE PLACE FOR IT. I THINK THE PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE GIVEN A SAY THROUGH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. >> THESE FEDERAL THREATS AND THE RHETORIC EFFECTS YOU A LOT. LEN. YOU WERE LICENSED AS A GROWER IN 2009, ONE OF THE FIRST SIX, I THINK, TO BE LICENSED. WITH THIS FEDERAL PUSH-BACK THAT WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HAS IT IMPACTED YOUR ABILITY AS A NONPROFIT TO OPERATE COMFORTABLY IN THE COUNTRY? >> NO, IT HASN'T EFFECTED IT AT ALL. THERE'S A THREAT OF EFFECT, BUT IT HASN'T IMPACTED US. >> SO TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS ONE OF THE 25 LICENSED GROWERS. >> IT'S A MOVING TARGET. WHAT I WOULD HAVE SAID SIX MONTHS AGO, OR A YEAR AGO, AND WHAT I WOULD SAY TODAY, IS CHANGING. THE NATURE OF THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT IS FUNCTIONING IS

CHANGING DRAMATICALLY, CONSTANTLY. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE WE HAD WAS THE FACT THAT WE COULD NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH MEDICINE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PATIENTS. >> SO THE RULES CHANGED LAST YEAR WHEN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PLANTS THAT YOU CAN GROW; IS THAT RIGHT? >> THAT WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS. >> SO IT WENT FROM, WHAT, 99 PLANTS TO 150? >> IT WENT FROM 95 TO 150 TOTAL. THAT WAS A DRAMATIC IMPACT IN WHAT OUR PRODUCTION COULD BE. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO RAISE MORE CAPITAL, BECAUSE THINGS HAVE STABILIZED. SO WE'RE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE WHAT WE'RE DOING OUT OF THOSE PLANTS. WE WERE ABLE TO BORROW MORE MONEY TO INCREASE OUR FACILITY, SO WE HAVE FEWER PLANTS PER LIGHT, WHICH MEANS THEIR YIELD IS HIGHER. BUT PROBABLY THE LARGEST FACTOR WAS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH LICENSED MORE PRODUCERS. A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME, THERE WERE FIVE FUNCTIONING. SIX MORE HAVE JUST BEEN

LICENSED. THEY TOOK ANOTHER 120 DAYS TO EVEN BEGIN TO COME ONLINE. RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME, 2010, WE HAD FIVE, AND THERE WAS NO WAY WE COULD DO IT. THEN BY DECEMBER, WE HAD CLOSE TO 11 FUNCTIONING. AND NOW THERE'S 25. I'M NOT SURE THEY ARE ALL FUNCTIONING. I BELIEVE THEY ARE. IF NOT, THEY ARE CLOSE. THAT'S MADE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT. WE WERE TRYING TO -- WHAT'S THE EXAMPLE I COULD GIVE? WE HAD MADE A MAJOR INVESTMENT, WE HAD MAJOR STAFF TRYING TO DEAL WITH AN ENORMOUS PATIENT LOAD, HUGE PATIENT LOAD, AND DEAL WITH THEM IN A TIMELY WAY, AND IN A WELL SERVICED WAY, WHEN WE COULDN'T PROVIDE ANY PRODUCT. WE HAD A TREMENDOUS OVERHEAD, BOTH IN TIME AND ENERGY AND MONEY, TO SERVICE OUR PATIENTS WHEN WE REALLY COULDN'T HELP THEM. >> SO WITH 25 GROWERS AND 150 PLANTS EACH, YOU CAN KEEP THE SUPPLY GOING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND JOEL WHITE, AS A PATIENT WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE QUALIFYING CONDITIONS UNDER THE STATE'S PROGRAM, HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FINDING A DOCTOR AND THEN A LICENSED GROWER? >> IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. I MEAN, ONCE I DID ENOUGH RESEARCH THAT I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE PROGRAM, AND I FELT THAT THIS WAS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER MORE DANGEROUS DRUG REGIMENS THAT HAD BEEN OFFERED TO ME, AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE DRUG REGIMENS THAT HAD BEEN OFFERED. I DECIDED THAT I WANTED TO PURSUE THIS. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST PATH TO DEAL WITH MY SYMPTOMATIC PROBLEMS. SO ONCE I GOT TO THAT POINT, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'M GOING TO DO THIS, I'M GOING TO APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM, HOW DO I DO IT? WELL, YOU GO ON THE INTERNET, AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AROUND. YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH. AND I WAS ABLE TO FIND ONE DOCTOR THAT WAS COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO PRESENT THEMSELVES ON

THE INTERNET, AND THEN I ARRANGED FOR A TIME TO GO MEET WITH HER IN A DIFFERENT TOWN. IT WAS EXPENSIVE, AND IT WAS TIME-CONSUMING. I HAD TO TAKE AWAY TIME FROM WORK TO DO THAT. BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM. AND ONCE I DID, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS BY FAR AND AWAY THE MOST EFFECTIVE. >> DID YOU HAVE SOME RESISTANCE, HAVING GROWN UP AND BEING TOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, MARIJUANA IS ILLEGAL? WERE THERE RESISTANCES, AND WAS IT WORTH OVERCOMING? IS IT WORKING? >> YEAH, IT DEFINITELY WORKS. I COME FROM A RELATIVELY CONSERVATIVE BACKGROUND WITH RESPECT TO DRUGS, AND I DIDN'T EVEN DRINK WINE UNTIL I WAS 40 YEARS OLD. SO THAT'S THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I CAME FROM. AND FRIENDS OF MINE HAD SUGGESTED THAT CANNABIS WOULD BE

A GOOD ALTERNATIVE FOR ME. BUT I WAS VERY RESISTANT, BECAUSE I HAD BOUGHT INTO THE PROPAGANDAS THAT HAD BEEN FLOATED SINCE I WAS A KID IN THE SEVENTIES THAT THIS WAS A DANGEROUS DRUG, AND IT'S A GATEWAY DRUG, AND IF I TRY IT, I'M GOING TO BE USING HEROIN IN A WEEK, AND THINGS LIKE THAT. >> AND YOU'RE NOT SHOOTING UP TODAY? >> OBVIOUSLY NOT. I AM NOT, AT ALL. WHAT I FOUND WAS, IT TOOK ME ABOUT A YEAR TO GET THE COURAGE TO EXPLORE THIS ALTERNATIVE WHILE I WAS USING OTHER DRUGS, AND FEELING FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY AND TIRED AND WEAK. AND, YOU KNOW, DEALING WITH THE EMOTIONS THAT GO WITH THAT. BUT WHEN I FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS READY TO TAKE THE PLUNGE, I ARRANGED TO MEET A DOCTOR, GOT THE APPROVAL, AND THEN I TRIED IT. AND THE FIRST THING -- I TRIED IT, AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, HELL, EVERYBODY'S BEEN LYING ABOUT

THIS. THIS IS NOT WHAT I HAD THOUGHT IT WAS FROM A CHILDHOOD PERSPECTIVE. >> WHAT WAS THE RELIEF THAT YOU WERE FEELING BEFORE? >> FOR ME, I'M DEFINITELY A HIGH-FUNCTIONING -- I HAVE WHAT'S CALLED REGRESSIVE REMITTING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. I WAS DIAGNOSED 22 YEARS AGO. I WAS IN MY 20S. STATISTICALLY, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, YOU ARE -- AS LONG AS YOU ARE CAREFUL WITH YOUR HEALTH, YOU'RE ABLE TO FUNCTION AND LIVE A RELATIVELY PRODUCTIVE LIFE. BUT FROM TIME TO TIME, I HAVE EXACERBATIONS THAT BASICALLY TAKE ME OUT OF MY NORMAL LIFE PATTERN. AND CANNABIS DOES NOT CURE. IT'S A SYMPTOMATIC TREATMENT. THERE ARE NO CURES FOR M.S. SO I WAS JUST HAPPY TO FIND A TREATMENT THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PAIN, THE TINGLING, THE NUMBNESS, THE STRESSORS THAT GO WITH M.S., AND EVERYTHING THAT

MADE IT COMPLICATED JUST TO GO THROUGH LIFE. >> WITH 25 LICENSED GROWERS IN THE STATE, DO YOU FIND THAT THERE IS AN AMPLE SUPPLY FOR YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS? >> IT'S DEFINITELY IMPROVED VASTLY. >> SO YOU HAVEN'T HAD TO GO TO THE STREET AND BUY IT ON THE BLACK MARKET? >> NO, NO. >> AND HAVE YOU EXPERIMENTED WITH DIFFERENT STRAINS? >> I HAVE. >> OR MAYBE EVEN EDIBLE FORMS? >> I HAVE. THEY PROVIDE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TREATMENT REGIMENS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST, MOST CHRONIC PROBLEMS THAT I DEAL WITH IS SLEEP. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SLEEP, BECAUSE DURING THE DAY, I CAN -- I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH THAT I FUNCTION WELL ENOUGH THAT I CAN GO THROUGH THE DAY AND KIND OF PUSH MY SYMPTOMS TO THE BACKGROUND. YOU KNOW, I'M ANNOYED. RIGHT NOW, MY LEG TINGLES, MY FINGERS ARE NUMB, BUT I CAN TALK TO YOU AND HAVE A VERY ARTICULATE CONVERSATION, AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO KNOW THAT I'M REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE. BUT AT NIGHT, WHEN I'M LAYING IN

BED, THE ONLY THING I CAN DO IS THINK, I'M REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE, MY LEG TINGLES, IT FEELS LIKE ANTS ARE CRAWLING ALL OVER ME, I HATE THIS, IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY, HOW DO I DEAL WITH IT. AND THE WAY MY DOCTOR HAD DEALT WITH IT BEFORE MEDICAL CANNABIS WAS BY USING TEMAZEPAM, WHICH IS A BENZODIAZEPINE. IT'S A NARCOTIC. IT'S BASICALLY VALIUM-LYTE. IT WAS EFFECTIVE, BUT IT IS A NARCOTIC, AND YOU DO BUILD A RESISTANCE TO IT. AND AFTER 13 YEARS, I WAS STARTING TO FEEL THAT RESISTANCE, AND I WAS IN A DILEMMA WHERE I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE, AND GO FROM 15 MILLIGRAMS TO 30 MILLIGRAMS, AND THAT WAS GOING TO HAVE INCREASING POSSIBLE ADVERSE EFFECTS WITH ME. MY DOCTOR DIDN'T LIKE THAT, AND SHE SAID, I REALLY WANT TO GET YOU OFF OF THESE. AND SHE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID, WELL, I REALLY THINK YOU OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE CANNABIS PROGRAM. PRIOR TO THAT, OTHER FRIENDS HAD TRIED TO INFLUENCE ME TO TRY THIS, AND I WAS RELUCTANT AND

RESISTANT, BECAUSE I BELIEVED THE DOGMAS AND THE PROPAGANDAS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE PUT OUT. AND I BOUGHT RIGHT INTO IT, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN A CIVIL SOCIETY, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO OBEY THE LAWS AND BE RESPONSIBLE. AND I FELT LIKE IF I STEPPED OUT OF THAT AND TRIED SOMETHING THAT IS TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL, AND TECHNICALLY A SCHEDULE I DRUG, THAT I WAS DOING A TERRIBLE INJUSTICE TO MYSELF AND NOT BEING A GOOD HONORABLE CITIZEN. >> AND YOU'RE NOT ALONE. AS OF EARLY AUGUST, DOMINICK, THERE WERE 4,000, JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN 4,000 PATIENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THE STATE. TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER CONDITIONS THAT QUALIFY FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA. MAYBE THE TOP FIVE. >> SURE. WE HAVE PTSD AS THE TOP ONE. >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER? >> CORRECT.

AND I CAN ACTUALLY TELL YOU, WE HAVE 4,050 PATIENTS ACTIVELY ENROLLED RIGHT NOW, AND OUT OF THOSE 4,050 PATIENTS, 1,649 ARE WITH PTSD. >> SO 25 PERCENT, ALMOST? >> PRETTY MUCH. AND THEN OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS SEVERE CHRONIC PAIN AT 1,223 PATIENTS. AND THEN CANCER, AND THIS IS ANY FORM OF CANCER THAT'S CREATING A DEBILITATING CONDITION FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, AND THAT IS RUNNING AT 559. AND THEN PAINFUL PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY AT 383. AND HIV AND AIDS AT 223. >> SO WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT THE DEPARTMENT GOES THROUGH TO QUALIFY ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM BEFORE THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM? >> BASICALLY, WHAT HAPPENS IS, ANYBODY CAN PETITION THE MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM, AND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO DO IT, TO PETITION THE BOARD, IS BASICALLY PROVIDE RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT

MEDICAL CANNABIS DOES HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON WHATEVER CONDITION IT IS THAT THEY'RE PETITIONING FOR. ONCE THEY SUBMIT IT TO THE ADVISORY BOARD -- AND THE ADVISORY BOARD MEETS TWICE A YEAR; IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING. THEY HEAR ALL THE PETITIONS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THEM. AT THAT POINT, THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION EITHER FOR THE PETITION TO MOVE FORWARD, OR FOR IT TO BE DENIED. IF THE PETITION MOVES FORWARD, IT GOES TO THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH FOR A FINAL DECISION. >> I CHECKED WITH THE STATE OF COLORADO, AND SOME OF THE SURROUNDING STATES, AND NEW MEXICO ACTUALLY HAS QUITE A FEW MORE CONDITIONS THAT QUALIFY COMPARED TO OTHER STATES. >> THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVE BEEN IN THE FOREFRONT OF CONDITIONS AND TRYING TO HELP PATIENTS WHO REALLY DO SEEM TO IMPROVE, AND WHERE IT HELPS TO RELIEF CONDITIONS. BUT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEDICAL RESEARCH IS THERE, AT LEAST AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. ONE OF THE ISSUES THERE IS, WITH IT BEING A SCHEDULE I DRUG, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF RESEARCH

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. SO WE DO HAVE TO LOOK OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES FOR THAT RESEARCH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE BEST RESEARCH. SO SOMETIMES THAT CAN BE A DIFFICULT SITUATION. WE ARE TRYING, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT THERE WILL BE OTHER INSTITUTIONS, ESPECIALLY RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, THAT DO LOOK AT THESE CONDITIONS TO SEE WHAT EFFECT EXACTLY DOES MEDICAL CANNABIS HAVE, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP THE PATIENTS IN THE BEST WAYS POSSIBLE. >> SENATOR McSORELY, SPEAKING OF HELPING PATIENTS, EARLIER THIS SUMMER YOU TALKED TO THE NEW MEXICO MEDICAL MARIJUANA EXPO, AND THE CROWDS THAT SHOWED UP AT THE CONVENTION CENTER TO SEE DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS, AND MEET NEW DOCTORS, TALK TO LAWYERS, HEAR ADVICE ON WHERE THE PROGRAM IS TODAY, AND WHERE IT IS GOING, ALONG WITH THREATS FROM POLICE AND FEDS. DURING THAT CONFERENCE, YOU SAID THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT THREE THINGS: PATIENTS, PATIENTS, PATIENTS. WHEN YOU DEVELOPED THE PROGRAM,

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU WERE GOING TO MOVE IT THROUGH, AND WHERE YOU WANTED TO SEE IT GO? AND ARE WE THERE YET? >> NO, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR WHERE I WAS HOPING WE WOULD BE BY THIS TIME. INITIALLY, WE HAD DEVISED A PROGRAM WHERE THE DEPARTMENT WOULD LICENSE THOSE THAT ARE QUALIFIED, AND THOSE THAT APPLY. >> AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE LAW SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SHALL LICENSE AND APPROVE PATIENTS FOR THE USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR CONDITIONS THAT APPLY. >> EXACTLY >> OR WERE APPROVED. >> EXACTLY. BUT ORIGINALLY, WE HAD WRITTEN THE BILL WITH THE CONSENT OF NEW MEXICO STATE, THAT HAS THE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM, AND THEY WERE GOING TO BE THE GROWERS. AND AT THE LAST MINUTE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STEPPED IN AND THREATENED THEM AND THEIR FUNDING, AND WE HAD TO MOVE TO THIS IDEA OF NONPROFIT PRODUCERS. WE DIDN'T REALLY PUT THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE IN THERE TO CREATE WHAT I THINK IS A GOOD PRIVATE SYSTEM OF COMPETITION,

WHERE LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN BECOME PRODUCERS, SO THAT THERE'S LOTS OF OPTIONS FOR OUR PATIENTS. BECAUSE THIS SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT THE PATIENTS AND NOTHING ELSE. AND I THINK THAT THERE'S TWO BOTTLENECKS, AS I SEE THEM RIGHT NOW. FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THE INABILITY OF INCLUDING MORE SYMPTOMS THAT I THINK THERE'S VERY GOOD RESEARCH FOR. LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WITH PTSD, MOST OF THE FOLKS WITH PTSD ARE MEN. THEY'RE COMING BACK FROM THE MILITARY. HOWEVER, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WOMEN THAT SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION WHO HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MILITARY, BUT DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF PTSD. AND THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHERS, TOO. I THINK WE NEED TO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE DEPRESSION IN THE PROGRAM, AND I THINK THE RESEARCH IS THERE TO JUSTIFY IT. SO I THINK THERE IS THE PATIENT NEED. LET ME GIVE YOU A STATISTIC. THIS IS A ROUGH GUESS THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALCULATE. IF WE HAD THE SAME NUMBER OF PATIENTS AS THE STATE OF

COLORADO, WE'D HAVE 40,000 PATIENTS IN NEW MEXICO. SO WE HAVE ONE-TENTH OF THE PEOPLE I THINK COULD BE AND SHOULD BE HELPED. >> AND BEFORE THEY CAN COME AND BUY FROM YOUR NONPROFIT, MR. GOODMAN, THEY HAVE TO GET A PRESCRIPTION. WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH IS BEING MADE TO DOCTORS SO THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE PRESCRIBING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA? >> NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH. IT IS NOT A PRESCRIPTION. THEY NEED TO GET APPROVAL BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THEY NEED A MEDICAL CANNABIS CARD. THEY HAVE TO BECOME A PART OF A PROGRAM, AND THAT REQUIRES A DOCTOR. I THINK THERE IS A SERIES OF PROBLEMS IN WHERE WE ARE TODAY, ONE OF WHICH YOU ADDRESSED, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT DEPRESSION WAS APPROVED BY THE MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE. OTHER CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED. THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BOTH THE PRESENT SECRETARY AND THE PREVIOUS SECRETARY, HAVE TURNED DOWN APPROVALS BY A QUALIFIED BOARD OF PHYSICIANS, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, AS TO WHY

THOSE PEOPLE WERE GIVEN THE TASK OF CERTIFYING AS TO WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY COULD BENEFIT. >> AND THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO YOU. DIDN'T I HEAR EARLIER THAT THE NEW SECRETARY OF HEALTH, CATHERINE TORRES, CAME TO VISIT YOUR OPERATION? >> YES, SHE HAS COME TO SEE US. SHE VISITED OUR OFFICE. SHE WATCHED US INTERACT WITH PATIENTS. SHE CAME TO OUR GROW, WATCHED OUR PRODUCTION, ASKED A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS. THE INTERACTION WAS VERY POSITIVE, WHICH DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT WE STILL HAVE CONDITIONS THAT NEED APPROVAL. THAT'S ONE OF A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS. THERE ARE OTHERS, AND IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO, I'LL TALK ABOUT THEM. >> REAL QUICK, DOMINICK, THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW APPROVALS FOR CONDITIONS OR LICENSED GROWERS THIS YEAR. WHY NOT? >> THE MEDICAL ADVISORY BOARD MET A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND THAT WENT BEFORE THE SECRETARY, AND THE DECISION IS BEING RELEASED RIGHT NOW. BUT, AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE THE BOARD ONLY MEETS TWICE A YEAR, AND SO WE JUST HAD THE

FIRST MEETING FOR THIS YEAR, AND THAT'S JUST GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. >> OBVIOUSLY, TOO, I'M SURE THAT THE PROGRAM WAS SET UP TO BE KIND OF SELF-FUNDING. BUT THERE'S REVENUE COMING INTO THE PROGRAM FROM THE PATIENTS, FROM THE GROWERS WHO PAY FEES -- >> NOT YET, NOT YET. WE DO GET FOR THE PERSONAL PRODUCTION LICENSE, AND THE WAY THAT ACTUALLY WORKS, BECAUSE WE ARE VERY COGNIZANT OF THE PATIENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PROGRAM, MANY OF THEM ARE LOW INCOME, SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE NO ENTRY FEE INTO THE PROGRAM. SO TO APPLY TO THE PROGRAM ITSELF, THERE IS NO FEE. IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GET A PERSONAL PRODUCTION LICENSE, THERE IS A $30 FEE. BUT IF THEY CAN SHOW THAT THEY MAKE UNDER 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES, WHICH FOR A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL IS ABOUT $22,000 A YEAR, THERE IS NO FEE. THE PRODUCERS, THEY DO HAVE FEES THAT COME INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR FOR THEIR RELICENSING, AND THOSE WILL BE DUE ON DECEMBER 1ST. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME WE WILL

ACTUALLY RECEIVE THOSE FEES. UP UNTIL NOW, THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER FUNDING THAT'S BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THE PROGRAM OTHER THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVISE FROM THE HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM. SO THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, LIMITED RESOURCES. AND RIGHT NOW, IN THE CURRENT BUDGET SITUATION, THAT'S PARTLY UNDERSTANDABLE. AND SO WE DEVISED THE RULES AND REGULATIONS LAST DECEMBER SO IT WOULD BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT, AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. BUT IF WE TRIED TO DO IT RIGHT AWAY, WE WOULD PUT EVERY PRODUCER OUT OF BUSINESS. SO WE DID IT IN A GRADUATED STEP PROGRAM WHERE THE FIRST YEAR, PRODUCERS LICENSED A YEAR WILL HAVE A $10,000 FEE. PRODUCERS FOR THEIR SECOND YEAR, TWENTY. AND THIRD YEAR AND BEYOND AT THIRTY. >> I JUST WANT TO REAL QUICKLY UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT I'VE EVER QUITE GRASPED THE REASON, ALL THE OTHER PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL PHARMACY FOR, THERE IS NO SALES TAX APPLIED TO THEM. WHY IS THERE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NEW MEXICO? >> BECAUSE IT IS STILL ILLEGAL FEDERALLY. SO IT'S BEING SOLD, ESSENTIALLY,

AS PART OF A SERVICE. SO THERE STILL IS. AND OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS STILL DO HAVE SALES TAX. >> NEXT YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR, SENATOR McSORELY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE UP FOR ELECTION. WILL THE DEBATE BE ABOUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA AND THE CITIZENS' RIGHTS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, AND BEING ABLE TO PICK THE DRUGS THAT THEY WANT TO HELP THEM, OR SHOULD THE DEBATE BE ABOUT JOBS? >> I THINK THEY'RE INTERLINKED. WHY NOT? IF WE HAVE FUNCTIONING PATIENTS WHO CAN FUNCTION AT HIGHER LEVELS, WHO CAN BE CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, WHO ARE HELPED BY THIS PROGRAM, THEY'RE THE FOLKS THAT CAN WORK AT A JOB. >> MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY >> ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CONTROLLING YOUR COSTS AND LEARNING HOW TO GROW AT YOUR HOUSE? >> I HAVE A PERSONAL PRODUCTION LICENSE. >> AND SO YOU ARE ALREADY STARTING TO GROW? >> SOMEWHERE. >> THAT'S BEEN A BIG ISSUE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT TIME WE ALL GET TOGETHER. ANYWAY, FOR NOW, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE WITH US.

FOR MORE ON THE STATE'S MEDICAL CANNABIS PROGRAM, JUST LOG ONTO KNME.ORG AND LOOK FOR THE NEW MEXICO InFOCUS LINK. WHILE YOU'RE THERE, LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND HOW IT'S WORKING. JUST DROP US AN EMAIL AT INFOCUS AT KNME.ORG, OR GIVE US A CALL AT 277-1246. >> THANKS, PETER. BEFORE WE GO THIS WEEK, IT'S TIME ONCE AGAIN TO TURN THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE STATE'S HIDDEN HISTORY. KNME HAS PARTNERED WITH THE NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM TO BRING YOU THE "MOMENTS IN TIME" PROJECT, A SERIES OF VIDEOS ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT HAVE SHAPED OUR STATE. THIS WEEK, WE LOOK AT THE ROUGH RIDERS WHO HELPED TEDDY ROOSEVELT FIGHT IN THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. >> THERE'S HARDLY A MORE

ROMANTIC MOMENT IN ALL OF AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY THAN THE STORY OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. >> WHEN WAR BROKE OUT WITH SPAIN IN 1898, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, WHO WAS THEN THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY, SUGGESTED TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT THAT HE RAISE A VOLUNTEER REGIMENT OF COWBOY CALVARY FROM ALL OVER THE SOUTHWEST. ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS. ROOSEVELT LOVED THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN WEST. HE HAD BEEN A COWBOY UP IN NORTH DAKOTA AT A RANCH UP THERE, AND HE REALLY WANTED TO RECRUIT HARD, TOUGH MEN FROM THE SOUTHWEST, THE KIND OF MEN THAT COULD FACE UP TO ANYONE ON A FIELD OF BATTLE. >> TEDDY ROOSEVELT'S ROUGH RIDER STORY IS VERY MUCH A NEW

MEXICO STORY. 350 OF THE ROUGH RIDERS WERE FROM NEW MEXICO. THAT'S THE LARGEST CONTINGENT FROM ANY STATE OR TERRITORY IN THE WEST. NEW MEXICANS FLOCKED TO GOVERNOR OTERO'S CALL FOR RECRUITS TO FIGHT FOR NOT ONLY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, NOT ONLY FOR THE LIBERATION OF CUBA, BUT ALSO TO WIN A STAR IN THE AMERICAN FLAG FOR NEW MEXICO. >> THE RAILROAD WAS VITAL, OF COURSE, IN RECRUITMENT OF THE ROUGH RIDERS, AND THE RAILROAD PROVIDED THE LINK BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE ALL THE MEN WOULD COME TOGETHER, AND A WONDERFUL EVENT OCCURRED ON THE SANTA FE PLAZA AS EVERYONE TOOK THE OATH. THEY THEN WENT FROM HERE, OF COURSE, VIA RAIL TO SAN ANTONIO,

WHERE THE TRAINING TOOK PLACE, WHERE THEY MET THEODORE ROOSEVELT. WHEN ROOSEVELT MEETS THEM, ROOSEVELT JUST GOES CRAZY. THESE ARE ACTUALLY THE KIND OF MEN HE WANTS. ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT OF THE NEW MEXICO ROUGH RIDERS WAS CAPTAIN MAXIMILIANO LUNA. CAPTAIN LUNA CAME FROM ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT FAMILIES IN NEW MEXICO. HE HAD BEEN THE SHERIFF OF VALENCIA COUNTY. HIS FATHER HAD BEEN A LONG-TIME LEGISLATOR IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, AND LUNA HAD ALSO SERVED IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE. HE WAS ONLY 5'5", BUT HE WAS A TOUGH GUY, AND HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED OF ALL THE CAPTAINS OF THE ROUGH RIDERS. WHEN THE ROUGH RIDERS WERE SENT TO CUBA, SEVERAL OF THE COMPANIES WERE GOING TO BE LEFT BEHIND, AND LUNA WENT TO WOOD AND TO ROOSEVELT, AND PLEADED HIS CASE THAT HE HAD A PARTICULAR REASON TO GO TO CUBA. LUNA FELT THAT HE HAD TO PROVE THAT NEW MEXICO HISPANIC FAMILIES WERE LOYAL TO THE UNITED STATES, THAT THEIR BLOOD

TIES TO SPAIN MEANT NOTHING TO THEM, AND THAT THEY COULD BE COUNTED ON TO FORM A STATE AND BE LOYAL CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. >> WHEN TEDDY ROOSEVELT LEADS THAT COWBOY REGIMEN UP THAT HILL, WHOOPING AND HOLLERING, AND THOSE NEW MEXICAN ROUGH RIDERS PLANT THEIR FLAG UP ON TOP OF SAN JUAN HIGH, THEY'RE REALLY PLANTING AN AMERICAN FLAG THAT ANNOUNCES, WE ARE MOVING ONTO THE WORLD STAGE. AND TEDDY ROOSEVELT LEADS THE OLD AMERICA OF THE COWBOYS AND THE INDIANS AND THE WILD WEST

RIGHT UP THAT HILL, OUT OF AN AGRARIAN WILD WEST PAST INTO A STEEL AND STEAM FUTURE THAT HE IS GOING TO BE INSTRUMENTAL IN FORMING AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES JUST TWO YEARS LATER. >> WITH THE WAR OVER, THE NEW MEXICO CONNECTION WITH THE ROUGH RIDERS WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR NEW MEXICO STATEHOOD, BECAUSE ROOSEVELT, OF COURSE, IS GOING TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. SO, MANY OF THE ROUGH RIDERS OFFICERS AND TROOPERS ARE GOING TO TAKE PROMINENT POSITIONS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND IN TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT, AND IT'S GOING TO SET THE STAGE TO PROVE, ONCE AND FOR ALL, THAT NEW MEXICANS CAN BE TRUSTED, THAT THEY REALLY ARE GOOD, LOYAL AMERICANS, AND IT'S GOING TO PAVE THE WAY FOR NEW MEXICO STATEHOOD IN 1912. >> IT WAS RIGHT HERE IN 1899

THAT A VERY FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN OF THEN GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, AT THE VERY FIRST ROUGH RIDERS REUNION. AND THEN FOR MANY YEARS AFTER THAT, THEY WOULD COME BACK TO NEW MEXICO, TO THE CASTANEDA HOTEL, BECAUSE THEY HAD SUCH A STRONG CONNECTION TO ALL OF THOSE OLD BOYS, AND THAT GLORIOUS MOMENT THAT ALL OF THEM RECOGNIZED THAT THEY HAD BEEN A PART OF, WHERE THEY HAD CHANGED NOT ONLY THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. >> THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK'S SHOW. WE'LL BE BACK WITH MUCH MORE INSIGHT AND OPINION ON THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES. UNTIL THEN, THANKS FOR WATCHING, AND REMEMBER TO STAY ENCHANTED!