Ultra Health to open medical cannabis dispensary

ALAMOGORDO — Ultra Health, a medical cannabis dispensary, is planning to open shop at 601 N. White Sands Blvd. in the near future.

"We actually signed the lease to that facility almost a year ago," said Leonard Salgado, Vice President of Ultra Health. "It's taken that long to really move through the process with the Department of Health, or more specifically through the Medical Cannabis Program, to get that facility ready for inspection."

Salgado said the facility is ready for the New Mexico Department of Health's final inspection and is on hold to open its doors until an inspector is sent down.

Once open, Ultra Health will have multiple cannabis products available to qualifying patients.

"The products that will be available to qualifying patients in Otero County are going to be smokable products," Salgado said. "We will have approximately 25 to 30 different cannabis strains that will be either sativa or indica dominant. There will also be some high CBD (Cannabidiol) strains of flower that will also be available. Patients will also be able to purchase edible products, such as chocolates and different varieties of candy. Topical products will also be available, these are products like lotion that can be applied directly to the skin."

Salgado said Ultra Health will also bring new products such as oral drops, transdermal patches and concentrate wax to the Alamogordo facility.

In order to purchase any of the products in the dispensary, a medical cannabis card must be obtained through the New Mexico Department of Health's medical cannabis program. To qualify for a medical cannabis card, a patient must have at least one of the 21 medical qualifying conditions which include cancer, PTSD, severe chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and glaucoma.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, about 834 Otero County residents are already medical cannabis patients.

"Otero County happens to be one of the 15 counties that does not have a dispensary," Salgado said. "The distinction that's very specific about Otero County is that you have the largest patient population of those counties without a dispensary."

Previously to Ultra Health coming in, Salgado said Otero County medical cannabis patients were travelling to Las Cruces dispensaries but had a difficult time making it back through the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint.

"I will tell you that unfortunately, a little less than three weeks ago, upon attempting to make a delivery to patients in Otero County our personnel were stopped at the Border Checkpoint," Salgado said. "The medication that was designated for 12 patients in Alamogordo was confiscated. Patients attempting to go in that direction and come back into town are subject to that same checkpoint. If folks don't go in that direction, they've got to go to Roswell or Ruidoso. These are patients with debilitating medical conditions and that trip is difficult for many of them."

Ultra Health will be hosting an open house of their facility from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 25. Community members are welcome to stop by and learn more about medical cannabis. Peace Medical will also be onsite and will be offering free consultations on how to obtain a medical cannabis card. Medical providers will also be in attendance to complete certifications.

Salgado also encourages interested parties to contact NMDOH Medical Cannabis Program Director Kenny Vigil at 505-827-2321 to move forward with Ultra Health's final inspection.

For more information, visit their website at www.ultrahealth.com.