Latest news with #CannabisControlDivision
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Today at the Roundhouse, Feb. 26
Feb. 26—It's almost March, and legislators are entering a decisive stretch of this year's 60-day legislative session. Here are a few things to watch out for on Wednesday, Feb. 26: Border security: A proposal to create a new state office of border security is scheduled for its first hearing in the Senate Rules Committee. The bill, Senate Bill 257, would authorize a total of $6 million for the new office, which would be tasked with working with the federal government and local governments to expedite construction of a border fence. Up in smoke? The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear a presentation from Todd Stevens, the director of the state's Cannabis Control Division, about marijuana enforcement in New Mexico. The committee could also debate a bill, Senate Bill 152, allowing county commissioners to approve a two-year pause in the issuance of new cannabis producer licenses within the county. Felons voting: New Mexico voters would be able to decide whether to scrap a constitutional prohibition barring individuals with a felony conviction from voting, under a proposal up for debate in the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee. Former inmates can vote under a 2023 state law, but the proposed change, House Joint Resolution 10, would also extend the ability to vote to certain incarcerated individuals. Behavioral health: It's Behavioral Health Day at the Roundhouse, and the state's Behavioral Health Planning Council will hold a celebration in the Capitol rotunda from 9 to 11 a.m.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House approves bill giving police powers to state agency for cannabis enforcement
Feb. 20—SANTA FE — Three years after New Mexico began allowing the legal sale of cannabis, a bill giving a state agency authority to clamp down on illicit products is halfway to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk. The House voted 68-1 on Thursday to approve the measure, with Rep. Randall Pettigrew, R-Lovington, casting the lone "no" vote. House Speaker Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, described the bill as a necessary fix, saying backers of cannabis legalization realized such changes to state law would have to be made in the years following the initial roll-out. The bill, House Bill 10, would create a new law enforcement bureau within the state Regulation and Licensing Department that would have the ability to seize and destroy unlawful cannabis products. That could apply to products from licensed retailers or illegal growing operations alike. During a recent committee hearing, Todd Stevens, the director of the state's Cannabis Control Division, said 22-24% of the state's current licensees have some sort of "criminal element," such as illegal or mislabeled cannabis products. In addition, a recent report from the state's Organized Crime Commission found cannabis remains a major source of income for organized crime syndicates from Mexico and China. Specifically, some criminal groups exploit regulatory loopholes in the state's cannabis industry and might be using commercial dispensaries as fronts to launder millions of dollars to help fund their operations, according to the commission's report. House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena, pointed out during Thursday's debate that the Regulation and Licensing Department had stepped forward to request the additional authority from lawmakers. "This is an actual thing that we need in the state of New Mexico," Armstrong said. If the bill is signed into law by Lujan Grisham, the new law enforcement bureau would consist of six agents and one bureau chief, according to a legislative analysis. The bill now advances to the Senate with just under 30 days remaining in this year's 60-day legislative session.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Mexico House to consider strengthening cannabis regulation
A woman demonstrates a motorized marijuana bud trimmer at the Speedee Trim booth at the INDO EXPO cannabis trade show on Jan. 27, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Rick T. Wilking / Getty Images) 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). SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
