New Mexico Lawmakers to Pre-File Cannabis Legalization Bill

New Mexico Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque) will pre-file an adult-use cannabis legalization bill in the coming days that incorporates recommendations from the state’s governor-appointed work group, which was charged with suggesting what an adult-use program should entail.

Martinez’s legislation will establish a private adult-use cannabis industry in the state and regulate the market similar to alcohol, according to a local KRQE report.

In an effort to protect the state’s existing medical cannabis program, the legislation would remove sales tax on medical cannabis products and create subsidies for low-income patients, the news outlet reported.

Martinez participated in New Mexico’s work group alongside 21 other policy leaders from across the state, including law enforcement, medical professionals and politicians. The group submitted its recommendations for an adult-use cannabis program to elected officials in October, and focused on prioritizing the state’s medical cannabis patients and providing a large portion of adult-use proceeds to law enforcement and public health programs.

The New Mexico House passed an adult-use legalization bill last spring by a narrow margin of 36-34, but the legislation ultimately stalled in the Senate.

This year’s legislative session begins Jan. 21, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has indicated that she wants cannabis legalized this time around, according to KRQE.