Election Day in New Mexico resulted in a slight expansion of the state’s Senate, and a very slightly reduced, but still large, House Democratic majority. But while New Mexico voters cast their votes on Tuesday, voters in neighboring Arizona voted overwhelmingly to legalize recreational-use cannabis, something the New Mexico Legislature has not been able to pull off, despite years of attempts.
Arizona may be at least a year away from seeing any significant tax revenue from legalized cannabis, but the proposition included an expungement provision and will allow medical cannabis dispensaries to start selling it for recreational-use by next spring, just as the New Mexico Legislature is set to wrap up their regular legislative session.
Whether social and restorative justice or tax revenue is most important seems to be a matter of opinion among proponents and advocates. But most agree that it is imperative that New Mexico lawmakers legalize recreational-use cannabis next year if they want to achieve parity with the neighboring state to the west.
What’s at stake
In the past several years, legalization efforts have stalled in the Senate, which has been more consevative on many issues, including cannabis. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth of Santa Fe said he’s optimistic the Senate seats Democrats picked up on Election Day will help get a cannabis legalization bill to the governor’s desk.
“No question our landscape has changed internally in the Senate with seven new members and voters having spoken loudly and clearly,” Wirth said. “One of the issues that I’ve been very cognizant about is not losing the opportunity to move forward with recreational cannabis. And I think part of that is tied to our neighboring states, for sure.”
One of the common selling points for legalizing cannabis is not only the tax revenue from New Mexico residents, but the potential to bring in more money from tourism. According to a study released in 2019, Colorado saw a significant increase in tourism revenue in 2018 and the study found that many tourists spent more time in the state because of legal cannabis. But Wirth said there are also missed revenue opportunities when New Mexicans travel to Colorado, where cannabis is legal, and spend money outside the state.
“We have an opportunity to take advantage of a new industry that can help diversify our economy and bring lots of jobs, especially on our borders,” Wirth said. “So the timing is important, because the longer we wait, the more economic impact we lose as our sister states move forward.”
Wirth said it’s still too early to say what a legalization bill might look like or who, in the Senate, might sponsor it. But, he said, his goal is to find common ground among proponents and streamline any competing bills into cohesive effort.
“One of the things that’s very important to me is going to be working to really get the different versions and competing ideas being presented, get folks in the same room, and try and get kind of one plan,” Wirth said.
During the 2020 legislative session, there were two recreational legalization bills, one in the Senate and one in the House, that were nearly identical. But during the 2019 session, a group of Republican Senators offered up their version of a legalization bill that included a provision that would…
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