Cannabis in New Mexico

Marihuana is the name commonly used in the Southwest and Mexico.In 1978 New Mexico became the first state to pass legislation allowing the medical use of cannabis in some form.

[3] The bill was spurred by the efforts of cancer patient Lynn Pierson, who found relief from using cannabis and pleaded his case to state lawmakers that he should be allowed to use the drug.

[3][5] In 1999, Republican Governor Gary Johnson set off a political firestorm in the state when he endorsed the policy of drug legalization.

[10] Drug czar Barry McCaffrey made a special trip to Albuquerque to denounce the governor's comments which he called "astonishing" and "embarrassing".

[14] The bill allowed the use of cannabis with a physician's recommendation for treatment of certain medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.

[20] After passing in the House it stalled in the Senate Finance Committee,[21] but Governor Lujan Grisham announced that she would add the issue to the legislative agenda for the upcoming year.

[23] In April 2019, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law Senate Bill 406, the first major change to the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act since it was enacted in 2007.

[30] Said Grisham: "This group will ensure we begin the next session with a credible, equitable, and cohesive legalization proposal that will incorporate all public safety concerns, workplace regulations, labeling requirements that protect underage children, and all manner of other issues.

"[31] The working group consisted of over 20 individuals from varying backgrounds including state lawmakers, cabinet secretaries, law enforcement officials, and medical cannabis executives.

[43] In August 2014, the Santa Fe City Council voted 5–4 to enact (rather than let go to ballot) a citizen-led petition to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis.

[48][49] In April 2018, the Albuquerque City Council voted 5–4 to allow police to issue a $25 civil citation for possessing up to an ounce of cannabis.

In December 2018, the Santa Fe City Council approved a resolution calling on state lawmakers to "enact legislation related to the legalization ... of cannabis and cannabis-related products for recreational use".