Prospective medical cannabis patients in New Mexico won’t be able to apply for cards under opiate addiction, despite the state’s opiate abuse epidemic and the recommendation from the program’s advisory board.

Health Secretary Lynn Gallagher denied the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board’s recommendation to add opiate use disorder to the list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis this week. Earlier this year, Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed a bill that passed both chambers of the Legislature which would have added the condition to the program.

The governor’s reason for the veto? She didn’t want to “eliminate an important responsibility” of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.

Secretary Gallagher also denied recommendations to add Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegenerative dementia to the list of conditions, allow certifications to be conducted via telemedicine and increase the plant count limit for licensed providers.