Adult cannabis sales begin in New Mexico

The adult cannabis market in New Mexico is officially open.

After the clock struck midnight on Friday, newly minted cannabis retailers opened their doors to customers eager to make a first-time purchase.

According to the Las Cruces Sun News, “a few hundred people” lined up outside a store in Las Cruces, the state’s second largest city, which had “several” stores commemorating the historic day and opened at 12:01 a.m

According to the newspaper, a customer, Jeremy Sandoval, queued outside the store at 6:30 p.m.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Sandoval said, as quoted by the Las Cruces Sun News. “We’ve all been waiting for this. It is a milestone on the path that lies ahead of us.”

The midnight openings were unique to Las Cruces. As the Sun News noted, the city is one of the few major cities in the state that hasn’t set opening hours for its cannabis retailers, “which is why these local dispensaries were able to have these midnight debuts.”

New Mexico is the 18th state to legalize adult recreational use of cannabis. The state’s Democratic Gov. Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law last April putting the law into effect, hailing it as a potential economic boon for New Mexico.

The Office of the Governor, citing analysis by an independent economist, said that “sales of adult recreational cannabis could total $318 million in the first year, which could create more than 11,000 new jobs over several years “.

“The legalization of adult-use cannabis paves the way for the creation of a new economic engine in our state with the promise of creating thousands of well-paying jobs for years to come,” Grisham said in a statement at the time. “We will increase consumer safety by creating a real industry. We will begin to right the past wrongs of this country’s failed drug war. And we will be breaking new ground in an industry that could change New Mexico’s economic future for the better.”

Grisham’s office estimates “that the excise tax will raise at least $20 million for the general fund in its first full fiscal year, with substantial growth in subsequent years” and that local governments “will also benefit from the additional revenue.” .

“As we try to recover from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, entrepreneurs will benefit from this great opportunity to start lucrative new businesses, the state and local governments will benefit from the additional revenue and, more importantly, workers will benefit from the opportunity to land new types of jobs and build careers,” Grisham said in last year’s statement.

Democratic House Representative Javier Martinez said at the time that the state “seized a unique opportunity to build a multi-million dollar industry with a framework that is right for our state and will benefit New Mexicans for generations to come. ”

The new law states that “anyone age 21 and older can purchase up to two ounces (57 grams) of marijuana, enough to roll about 60 joints or cigarettes — or comparable amounts of liquid marijuana concentrates and edible treats,” according to the Associated Press.

Late last year, the state’s Cannabis Control Division issued the final rules for the adult use program, specifically for the production of cannabis in the state.

“Every day brings us closer to the first adult cannabis sales in New Mexico,” Kristen Thomson, director of the Cannabis Control Division, said in a statement at the time. “Thanks to the Cannabis Control Division’s open and transparent rulemaking process over the past six months, businesses and consumers can be confident that all the necessary support and protections are in place to ensure a thriving cannabis industry in our state.”