Adult cannabis is now legal in New Mexico

By Natan Ponieman

On Monday, New Mexico became the youngest state to legalize adult cannabis after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Cannabis Regulatory Bill.

Sales are slated to begin before April 2022.

After a wave of legalization led by New York and Virginia, more than 43% of Americans live in legal cannabis jurisdictions, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

Photo by Sean Pavone / Getty Images

“The successful signing of New Mexico adult cannabis legislation would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Lujan Grisham and the relentless support of state legislation,” said David Culver, vice president of global government relations Canopy Growth (NYSE: CGC).

The bills

The signed HB2 bill allows New Mexicans 21 and older to own up to two ounces of cannabis and grow six mature and six immature plants at home. The bill also regulates the production and sale of recreational cannabis and contains measures to create incentives for sections of the population disproportionately affected by the ban on entering the industry.

“We will increase consumer safety by creating a real industry. We will begin by correcting the mistakes of this country’s failed war on drugs. And we’re going to break new ground in an industry that could change New Mexico’s economic future for the better, ”said Governor Grisham, a strong proponent of cannabis reform.

RELATED: New Mexico Gov. Regrets not legalizing marijuana pre-coronavirus

Senate Bill 2, a supplementary bill signed in the same session, gives automatic deletion options to individuals charged with low-level cannabis convictions.

“Today’s signing – along with the signing of the New York Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act last month and news that Virginia legalized it three years ahead of schedule – shows that state policymakers are listening to their constituents and the promise of a safe one and healthy people adopt -regulated cannabis market, ”concluded Canopy’s Culver.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.