Medicinal herb processing and utilization in New Mexico: A model for sustainable development

Increased awareness and utilization of medicinal plants among the general population in the United States since the 1960s and continued use within traditional cultures of the Southwest has created a demand for high quality herbal medicines. The research in this thesis gives a history of use of herbs in New Mexico, describes a national market survey for Southwestern herbs, and proposes the establishment of small rural businesses which cultivate and process herbs based upon investigations in a natural products laboratory.