Even though use of marijuana for recreational purposes remains illegal in New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment still gets pretty high – when ranked among other states for dispensary density and tax revenue generated from cannabis sales, that is.

New Mexico is seventh on the list of states with the most dispensaries per capita, according to a study released last month, and solely on the strength of its medical cannabis program is ninth-highest in terms of tax revenue raised, though that may change. A state Supreme Court ruling over whether medical marijuana producers can claim a tax deduction for prescription medication is expected soon.

That could affect more than 80,000 medical marijuana patients in New Mexico, including 9,300 patients in Santa Fe County.

The study – commissioned by Verilife, a company that operates recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries in six states – measured New Mexico at 5.2 dispensaries per 100,000 people.

With 10 dispensaries and growing, Santa Fe is in the top 5% of U.S. cities surveyed in terms of the number of pot shops per capita, with 5.9 per 50,000 residents. That ranked 28th on the list of 600 cities in the 36 states where cannabis is legal for either recreational or medical use.

Only cities with populations of at least 50,000 were surveyed, as results can be significantly skewed in smaller cities, according to Matt Zajechowski, of Chicago-based Digital Third Coast, which conducted the survey. [Read More @ The Albuquerque Journal]