Lawmakers cruise toward ditching out-of-state patients, namely Texans People who are not residents of New Mexico and who don’t have medical cannabis cards in other states would no longer be allowed to buy the medicine here under a proposed law change heading to the governor’s desk and likely to be signed. The House voted Monday […]
New Mexico Marijuana
New Mexico cannabis legalization faces an uphill climb
A co-sponsor of a bill that would legalize the use of recreational cannabis said he thinks it only has a “one in three” chance of becoming law this year. Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, said Senate Bill 115 is undergoing a revision to better address some concerns raised before it’s heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee […]
Appellate ruling allows tax deduction for medical pot in New Mexico
A state Court of Appeals ruling that New Mexico medical marijuana producers can claim a tax deduction for prescription medication could affect prices for 80,000 or so enrolled patients statewide – and the state budget. The ruling, which overturned a hearing officer’s decision, could carry a multimillion-dollar price tag for the state Taxation and Revenue […]
New Mexico Recreational Pot Legalization Passes 1st Test
A Democrat-backed bill to legalize recreational marijuana businesses in all towns and counties across New Mexico passed its first test late Tuesday amid heighten interested from businesses and health care advocates. The Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 4-3 along party lines to move along the measure that would subsidize medical marijuana and automatically expunge many past pot […]
New Mexico Gov. begins push for legal marijuana
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham began her push to try to win over skeptics on the issue of legalizing recreational marijuana use on Thursday, telling Albuquerque business leaders the policy shift would immediately create 11,000 jobs and generate tax dollars that could be used on public safety programs. With a 30-day legislative session scheduled to start […]
New Mexico judge says DOH will have to issue medical cannabis cards to out-of-state residents
A state district court judge on Monday ordered the state’s Medical Cannabis Program to start issuing medical cannabis cards to individuals who qualify, regardless of where they live. The question of whether non-residents of New Mexico could become medical cannabis patients started when major changes to the state’s medical cannabis law went into effect. One […]
New Mexico might become first in nation to endorse state-run medical marijuana shops
New Mexico would become the first U.S. state to set up its own government-operated marijuana stores and subsidize medical cannabis for the poor under a bill brokered between Republicans and Democrats, as a new wave of states weighs legislation that would legalize recreational sales and consumption. The idea for state-run pot shops comes from a […]
Bipartisan backing for marijuana legalization in New Mexico
For years, most New Mexico Republicans have steadfastly opposed proposals to legalize recreational marijuana use. But with an increasing number of states moving toward cannabis legalization, three Senate Republicans have teamed up with three Democratic colleagues on a bipartisan bill, filed Thursday, that would allow for the sale of marijuana through state-run stores. “Marijuana is […]
Latest bill to legalize marijuana gains momentum in New Mexico Legislature
Recreational marijuana would become legal for people 21 or older in New Mexico and the state could tax marijuana sold in licensed stores under a bill introduced Thursday by state Rep. Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque. House Bill 356 would establish a licensing system that supporters say favors small businesses and institute a 9 percent tax on […]
Albuquerque Mayor Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Into Law
Mayor Tim Keller signed a bill Thursday decriminalizing the possession of an ounce or less of marijuana in the city. The legislation, passed by city councilors last week, replaces the criminal penalty of fines and jail time for such possession with a $25 civil fine. Authorities warned that marijuana possession remains a criminal offense under […]
New Mexico Advocates Hope to Get Medical Marijuana Treatment for Opioid Addiction
New Mexico could become the first state to officially recognize cannabis as an effective alternative to opioid painkillers – if activists succeed in getting opioid use disorder (OUD) added to the list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana, that is. It’s a tall order. Several states – including Nevada, Maine and even New Mexico itself earlier […]
Medical Marijuana Industry Thriving in New Mexico
New Mexico’s medical cannabis industry has grown into a powerful magnet for money and customers. Customers, sales revenue and dispensaries have exploded the past year with a total of more than 40,000 people now signed up to purchase medical marijuana. Since Jan. 1, some 8,000 New Mexicans obtained a state-issued license that allows them to […]
Bill Would Allow Medical Marijuana Access to All Veterans in New Mexico
A Senate committee voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that would make changes to New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program, but some lawmakers were troubled by a section that would allow veterans to enroll without being diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition. One state senator who voted in favor of the measure said he might […]
Marijuana Legalization Proposal Advances in New Mexico
Today, for the first time in history, a legislative committee voted in favor of taxing and regulating marijuana in New Mexico. On a vote of 5-4 New Mexico State Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino’s (D-12-Bernalillo) Senate Joint Resolution 2 (SJR2) passed the Senate Rules Committee. SJR2 would allow for the possession and personal use of […]
