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HB 12 Approved in New Mexico House By a Thin Margin

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HB 12 Approved in New Mexico House By a Thin Margin

This past Friday February 26 saw the New Mexico House of Representatives make a final vote on House Bill 12. This bill would allow citizens over 21 to purchase and possess two ounces of adult-use cannabis. Citizens can also have six mature plants and six immature plants at their home for personal use. Even though HB 12 got lots of public and lawmaker approval, it almost didn’t make it out of the House. The final vote was 39-31, even though previous committee votes saw HB 12’s passage by large amounts. 

HB 12

Despite the close call in the House for passage, many lawmakers and advocates are pleased with the outcomes. HB 12 is now 189 pages long, compared to the 89 it had when it first started. Many of the changes were to clarify language. Some lawmakers said that language showed disparities towards dispensaries already selling medical marijuana. Others said it still doesn’t show support for those most affected by the aimless War on Drugs. 

Representative Javier Martinez (D), who presented HB 12 to the chamber floor, expressed words of commitment to fellow lawmakers. 

“As I dove into this work years ago, I realized that, to me, legalizing recreational cannabis is not about the money,” Rep. Martinez said on the floor prior to the full chamber vote. “It’s a great revenue source for the state, but that’s not why I’m doing it.” He continued by saying, “But really when you get to the core of why I’m doing this and why I’ve worked on this for so long, it’s because I have seen the faces of the people who have most been impacted by this terrible and unwinnable war on drugs. It’s one that we cannot win.”

Lawmaker Approval

Emily Kaltenbach, the Senior Director of Resident States and New Mexico Drug Policy Alliance, made a statement after the final vote. “Cannabis legalization in New Mexico is one step closer to the finish line.” 

Kaltenbach went on to say, “Given HB 12 puts the lives of New Mexicans ahead of solely business interests, it is critical it be the vehicle for legalization as the issue moves forward…HB 12 legalizes cannabis in an equitable way that begins to repair the harms that have disproportionately impacted Hispanic/Latinx, Black, Native and Indigenous people in New Mexico. New Mexicans are absolutely ready to see marijuana legalization become a reality in the state, but they have made it clear that repairing the damage done by the drug war is non-negotiable.”

New Mexico’s Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham (D), has been pushing for legalization in the state for the past year now. During her State of the State speech at the beginning of January, she made it a point to say that adult-use cannabis should be legal. It is a priority for her to complete in 2021. 

“I have no interest in another year of thousands of New Mexicans eager to get to work and make their future in this industry being told ‘no,’ just because that’s easier than doing the hard work to get to ‘yes,’” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “When we emerge from this pandemic, we can have the same old economy, with the same old boom-and-bust future, or we can roar back to life, breaking new ground and fearlessly investing in ourselves, in the limitless potential of New Mexicans. I know which future I prefer, and we can begin building it this year.”

Future

There seems to be some added pressure on New Mexico. Neighboring states Arizona and Colorado have both legalized adult-use cannabis. Arizona began legal sales at the beginning of February 2021. The trend across the States is for legalization. And it looks like New Mexico will be the next state to make that happen. 

HB 12 now heads to the Senate for debate, which has separate bills for adult-use legalization filtering in various committees. If the Senate approves HB 12, it will move to Governor Lujan Grisham’s desk. It’s expected that she will sign HB 12 into law should it come to her.

As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest. Make sure to check back for more cannabis and hemp related news.