Thoughts from the void: Cannabis and New Mexico

New Mexico is one of the states that is most likely to legalize recreational cannabis in 2021 along with New York, Connecticut, Virginia. New Mexico has a legalized medical cannabis industry. It looks like the best thing that has happened in terms of adult recreational use legalization is the election of the new Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. '“If there was ever a time for wishful thinking, I wish we had passed recreational cannabis because that would be $100 million” in tax revenue, the governor said, though she also acknowledged that the estimate was made “before COVID-19.” Nevertheless, a regulated marijuana market “would be $100 million in the budget, and I’m very sad about that,” she said', according to Marijuana Moment.

As more neighboring states legalize recreational use and the benefits accrued from it become evident, the arguments in favor of legalizing recreational use in New Mexico mounts. At least 35 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use so far. The federal US government however continues to keep cannabis in the Schedule 1 list of banned substances saying that it has no medicinal value. The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here. All these states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, aimed specifically at improving public health, ensuring equity, reducing crime, decreasing the black market, improving law enforcement, reforming criminal justice, improving the economy, agriculture and industry, to name just a few reasons.

It is important to progress from medical use legalization to adult recreational use legalization so that the persons who are in most need of cannabis that is the poorest, the minorities, the indigenous people, the elderly, the ill, the youth and women can have access to the plant and can home grow it if required.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'A district judge in New Mexico made a final ruling ordering regulators to issue medical cannabis patient cards to qualifying out-of-state residents, but the governor’s office said it will appeal.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/judge-new-mexico-must-issue-medical-marijuana-cards-to-non-residents/

'“If there was ever a time for wishful thinking, I wish we had passed recreational cannabis because that would be $100 million” in tax revenue, the governor said, though she also acknowledged that the estimate was made “before COVID-19.”

Nevertheless, a regulated marijuana market “would be $100 million in the budget, and I’m very sad about that,” she said.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-mexico-governor-says-legal-marijuana-revenue-could-have-offset-coronaviruss-economic-hit/

'“In the six states surrounding Colorado—Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming—following Colorado’s legalization, the border counties experienced, on average, a decrease of 393.1 cases of property crime and 277.3 cases of larceny per 100,000 population relative to the nonborder counties.”

“Specifically, we observed that the property crime rate and larceny rate experienced substantial decreases in the border counties in neighboring states relative to nonborder counties following the legalization in Colorado,” the study says. “This is also true for the rate of simple assault…if Utah is not considered (only considering Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming as neighboring states of Colorado).”
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorados-marijuana-legalization-law-decreases-crime-in-neighboring-states-study-finds/