New Mexico House votes to legalize marijuana
BY REID WILSON - 03/08/19 09:16 AM EST
The New Mexico House late Thursday voted to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, a deal that could make the state the 11th in the nation to allow adults to consume the drug recreationally.
The House passed the bill without any Republican votes, and several moderate Democrats also voted against the measure. But the bill’s prime sponsor, state Rep. Javier Martinez (D), said he had worked with three Republicans in the state Senate to craft a compromise, giving the bill a shot to pass this session.
One Republican state senator, Cliff Pirtle, acted as an expert witness during the House debate over the bill.
If adopted, the bill would create a legal sales regime similar to those in place in Washington and Colorado, the first states to legalize recreational marijuana for adults — with a few important differences. The bill would mostly create state-run marijuana stores, something that has not yet happened in other legalization states, a concession to Senate Republicans.
Some private businesses would be allowed to sell marijuana for recreational purposes if no state-run store is operating nearby, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
If passed, New Mexico’s legal marijuana regime would begin in the middle of next year. State budget analysts expect the legal market to generate at least $9 million in tax revenue during that first year of sales and as much as $90 million by the time the market is up to full speed in 2023.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/433182-new-mexico-house-votes-to-legalize-marijuana