By Jo Mixon
This Friday, April Fool’s Day, recreational cannabis sales become legal in New Mexico.
The state has approved more than 225 cannabis retail licenses, including many integrated licenses for businesses that produce, manufacture, deliver and sell cannabis products. It is unclear how many businesses will be ready to open their doors on April 1st or whether there is enough newly grown cannabis in the state to meet demand in the first few months.
The Village Council of Angel Fire spent several months writing, amending and re-zoning per the state’s guidelines, passing a cannabis ordinance to permit recreational sales within the Village limits. One retail dispensary has applied and been approved for permits. To date, they have not broken ground at their new location on the property they purchased between Mountain Supply True Value and Zebs Restaurant.
Although cannabis will now be legal in New Mexico, it will not be legal to smoke or partake of cannabis in facilities such as restaurants, bars, hotels, etc., at your work place, while driving, or in public outdoor spaces, ie parks, sidewalks or parking lots. Nor is it legal to be transported across state lines. As with liquor laws, cannabis laws for stores are structured and specific. When you buy from a liquor store, you take the bottle home before you can legally open it. (Or to a legally designated place.) The same will be applied to cannabis purchases. However there will be public locations in the state allowing cannabis consumption, none have applied for permit in Angel Fire.
Time will tell if this new venture will be profitable for the state and small business owners.
Leave a Reply