New Mexico House to consider strengthening cannabis regulation
Part of the New Mexico House of Representatives' agenda going into the weekend is a proposal by the state's cannabis regulator to gain the ability to police bad actors in the cannabis industry.
House Bill 10 would create a new police agency under the state's insurance regulator to enforce state cannabis laws. It received unanimous approval from the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee on Feb. 3 and the House Judiciary Committee on Monday.
House Speaker Javier Martínez (D-Albuquerque) told the judiciary committee on Monday he's concerned about illicit cannabis harming the legal cannabis industry.
New Mexico legalized medical cannabis in 2007 and recreational cannabis in 2021. Martínez said local police departments and the Cannabis Control Division, part of the state Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), lack the capacity to oversee illicit cannabis operations.
'I believe that had we had this in our original bill, it would have actually helped RLD go after these folks in much more efficient, effective and impactful ways,' Martínez said.
The bill would expand the division's powers to include restricting the movement of cannabis products suspected of being adulterated or dangerously or fraudulently misbranded.
RLD Superintendent Clay Bailey told the committee the bad actors 'just ignore us.'
'We go in, we tell them what we've got, tell them to stop doing their business, and they won't stop,' he said. 'We've tried everything in the world.'
The bill proposes the creation of an enforcement bureau that would be attached to the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance and would investigate alleged illegal cannabis operations; search for, seize or embargo illicit cannabis; and make arrests.
The bill would also allow the Cannabis Control Division to conduct announced or unannounced inspections of licensed cannabis producers and retailers.
The bill is also sponsored by Minority Floor Leader Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena), and Reps. Doreen Gallegos (D-Las Cruces), Marian Matthews (D-Albuquerque) and Art De La Cruz (D-Albuquerque).
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