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“We did see a marked increase (in applications) after the court ruling,” Sundberg said. The ruling “changed how our applications were being accepted and processed.”

The court ruling is the most likely explanation for the increase, Sundberg said. “That’s the only significant change we’ve seen in the program since then,” she said.

Thomson also ordered the agency to drop a requirement that only psychiatrists or prescribing psychologists could sign a medical certification allowing PTSD patients to obtain a license.

Today, any state-licensed medical provider can certify a patient for the PTSD qualification, which accounts for about 45 percent of all licensed patients.

The number of patients who qualify with a PTSD diagnosis has increased 53 percent this year, from 5,559 on Jan. 1 to 8,502 today.

Thomson’s ruling also eased requirements for patients to qualify with a chronic pain diagnosis by eliminating the need for patients to obtain signatures from two clinicians, including a pain-management specialist.

The agency today requires only one signature from any licensed medical provider.

Patients who qualify with a chronic pain diagnosis have increased by half since Jan. 1 to 5,305.

Lawmakers approved the law in 2007 allowing patients with at least one of 11 medical conditions to qualify for a license to buy marijuana from a state-licensed producer. The agency has since expanded to 22 the list of qualifying conditions.

Jessica Gelay, policy coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group for medical marijuana, said the court ruling is one of several factors explaining the spike in licensed patients.

“Part of what we’re seeing is a general acceptance of marijuana as medicine,” Gelay said.

A seminar on medical cannabis held at the University of New Mexico last year drew a large audience, indicating interest by medical providers, she said.

Patients are also attracted to the growing variety of marijuana products, including edible forms and topical formulas absorbed through the skin, that offer alternatives to smoking, she said.

“It’s really a learning curve for the public as well as for the providers,” Gelay said. “I would expect that it will continue to grow.”