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The start of recreational cannabis sales is scheduled for April 1, 2022 – no deception.
Adults 21 and older can purchase and transport outside the home up to 57 grams of cannabis, with separate limits for extracts and edibles.
An ounce of marijuana fills a sandwich bag and can usually be rolled into almost 30 joints or cigarettes.
Hobbyists can grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use, or 12 per household.
PUBLIC CONSUMPTION
New indoor and outdoor places to consume marijuana are coming soon that could look like bars or lounges. These “cannabis consumption zones” will be licensed by the state for a fee.
Pot consumption will be permitted in hotel rooms, casinos, cigar bars and designated tobacco shops. In other public places, the use of marijuana will be treated like alcohol or cigarettes.
Local governments cannot ban pot businesses, but they can set zoning requirements for the locations and hours of operation of the businesses. Existing medical marijuana dispensaries cannot be easily dislodged.
RETAIL PRICE
Advocates for medical cannabis patients say New Mexico’s current pot prices are among the highest in the country, putting a strain on the personal finances of some consumers. This should change as the new legislation removes retail sales taxes on medical marijuana.
Chad Lozano, former medical patient advocate and future commercial cannabis producer, says prices for recreational marijuana in New Mexico will initially be relatively high compared to other states and are expected to decline as the market matures.
He says state regulators have the power to limit mass production and charge special licensing fees of up to $ 50 per plant per year. These decisions could drive up retail prices.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
New Mexico will implement an automated system to review and clear criminal records of past marijuana activity that are now legal. Lawmakers have set aside half a million dollars for the courts to begin the process.
These past offenses can no longer be used to prohibit a person from obtaining professional licenses or obtaining employment. Rough estimates show that around 100 detainees could be pardoned.
The new expungement and pardon procedures do not apply to convictions for trafficking large quantities of illicit marijuana.
Previous drug convictions will not prevent individuals from starting a licensed marijuana business, although that is a consideration. In the interest of equal opportunities, the state will issue “micro-licenses” for a nominal fee for the cultivation of up to 200 plants. These businesses might look like small craft breweries.
TAXES AND FEES
The state will levy a 12% excise tax on the sale of marijuana that will eventually increase to 18%. This is before the standard sales taxes of 5-9%.
According to conservative estimates, state and local tax revenues from recreational cannabis will exceed $ 45 million per year within three years. One third of the revenue goes to local government.
Lawmakers have yet to decide how to spend the money.
Democratic state representative Javier Martínez – the main architect of the state legalization effort – wants to create a “rural equity fund” to provide support and possibly subsidies to producers in marginalized communities.
Republican State Senator Cliff Pirtle has proposed using a share of the marijuana excise tax to help protect roads from marijuana-impaired drivers, including research into field sobriety tests .
Democratic Senator Jacob Candelaria, lawyer with clients in the marijuana industry, suggests directing half of state revenues to New Mexico’s multibillion-dollar trust funds for public education and infrastructure .
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