High Chances that the Next Governor of New Mexico will back the Legalization of Adult-use Marijuana

September 22,2017 New Mexico

It might be getting better for cannabis advocates in New Mexico, as three of the five candidates in the governor race are in support of legalizing the adult use of marijuana.

New Mexico’s neighboring state Colorado has been reaping economical benefits of legalized sale of medical marijuana in the state. On the other side, the political class in New Mexico has remained reluctant to endorse the legalization of adult-use cannabis.

The incumbent Governor, Susana Martinez, a Republican and a former lawyer has declared to veto any such bill during her time in the office, but she will leave the post very soon. According to local media reports, three of the five candidates, including the front-runner maintain the stance of legalizing adult-use of cannabis.

Democrat, Michelle Lujan Grisham, is being termed as the front-runner in the Democratic primary due to the number of endorsements she’s gotten and the amount of election funds she’s has collected. In a statement, she said, “I am committed to working with the Legislature to move towards legalizing recreational cannabis in a way that improves public safety, boosts state revenues, and allows for New Mexico businesses to grow into this new market.”

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According to news reports, Grisham further added that New Mexico should conduct a detailed analysis of adult-use cannabis programs of Colorado and Washington. It’s worth mentioning that Grisham was the state health secretary at the time when the state’s medical marijuana program was introduced.

Peter DeBenedittis is the most vocal supporter among all the candidates for legalizing recreational use of marijuana. On Monday, he said in a statement, “Simply legalizing cannabis for recreational use in New Mexico would generate $400 million in sales, and 16,000 new jobs in the first year.”

However, DeBenedittis is a political novice and the chances of him winning the governorship are sparse.

Jeff Apodaca, a Democrat and Albuquerque businessman, also supports legalizing recreational cannabis. He says that industries in Oregon and Colorado have worked, and are reaping the benefits of legalization, but he remains wary of the high taxation on cannabis.

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He told the press, “What we’ve learned so far from Colorado and Oregon and the other states that have legalized it is that there are ways we can educate the public, monitor it and create agricultural, production and distribution jobs,”

There is only a single Republican in the gubernatorial race, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce of Hobbs. He opposes legalization of recreational marijuana. He opines that legalizing the drug for adult-use will have serious consequences for the state and the citizens.

A Democrat from Las Cruces, Joseph Cervantes, is also against the legalization of cannabis. In the past, he supported the legislation to lessen the penalties for small amount cannabis possession.

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