Reporter's notebook: Pot count

Over 50,000 New Mexicans are taking part in the state’s medical marijuana program, according to information released this week by the New Mexico Department of Health.

This marks the first time the active patient count has topped the 50,000 mark since the state Legislature legalized medical marijuana in 2007.

Curry County, which boasts two dispensaries, ranks among the top 15 counties in the state with 933 patients, while De Baca, Quay and Roosevelt counties, where there are no dispensaries, have much lower numbers with 56, 314 and 292 patients, respectively.

About half of the medical marijuana card holders in the state qualify for the program due to post-traumatic stress disorder, while severe chronic pain (33 percent) and cancer (6 percent) round out the top three qualifying conditions.

— Compiled by Staff Writer Jamie Cushman