New Mexico cannabis sellers are preparing for a stampede as Texan recreational cannabis users rush to buy the products. To help them prepare for the surge, groups of cannabis retailers have stocked their cannabis retail stores in key places along the New Mexico-Texas border.
Once the stores open their doors to the public, the retailers expect not only a rush from New Mexicans but also the Texans. The retail stores are already stocked with enough supplies to meet the surge in demand.
New Mexico cannabis laws were passed
The New Mexico legislature passed the New Mexico cannabis recreational bill in June 2021. The state became the 18th state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. It was also the 5th state to pass the laws without requiring a voter initiative. The New Mexico cannabis recreational laws allow adults to possess a maximum of two ounces of marijuana. They are also allowed by law to cultivate up to six cannabis plants.
The New Mexicans had, however, to wait until April 1, 2022, for the dispensaries to open their doors to the public. The New Mexico cannabis laws were approved through a special legislative session and sent the bill to governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign into law. The legislators passed another law that will expunge people convicted for possessing marijuana. This law, however, protects only low-level marijuana crimes.
The key New Mexico towns along the Texas border
Marijuana retailers along the New Mexico -Texas border have prepared themselves to take the opportunity for tourism dollars during the sale. The key towns are Clayton, Tucumcari, Texico, Clovis, Portales, and Lovington. Other key towns are Hobbs, Jal, Chaparral, Las Cruces, Anthony, Santa Teresa, and Sunland Park.
A major cannabis company in New Mexico is working round the clock to boost production. The company expects retail orders to be high, although it will also take advantage of digital marketing to attract Texans.
According to the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce director Ben Lewinger, every key town along the New Mexico-Texas border is in a rush to take advantage of tourism dollars. New Mexico State has a smaller population of 2.1 million people compared to other neighboring states.
Texas, for example, has a population of 29.5 million people. Arizona has 7.2 million, while Colorado has a population of 5.81 million people. Marijuana remains illegal in Texas, and the New Mexico cannabis industry is prepared to benefit from Texan customers.
Texas is largely a conservative state, and any push for legalization has had little or no fruit. Various movements are pushing harder for Texas to legalize cannabis. However, their dreams seem to be far from reality. The cannabis companies in New Mexico will ensure they meet the demand for the products along with the border towns.
The state has had in place a restricted medical cannabis program since 2007. The passing of the New Mexico cannabis recreational bill will create sudden changes in the local law enforcement authorities. The taxation authority will have to deal with a new line of taxes. Cannabis farmers in the state now have a greater opportunity to grow the plants at a larger commercial scale.
Cannabis farmers and retailers are all set
One of the challenges commercial farmers will have to deal with is water for their farms. They are already pushing for water rights as they prepare their lands to produce the first marijuana plants on their farms. On the other hand, medical cannabis producers will now have to compete with recreational producers on who gets the plants from the farms first. This is an excellent opportunity for cannabis farmers to grow more to help them meet the market demand.
The retailers in New Mexico are converting whatever facilities they can find into cannabis stores. One of the retailers is Earl Henson, a resident of Clovis. The town is located only 16 kilometers from the Texas border and has a population of 40 thousand people. Earl partnered with two friends to consolidate funds. They then converted a facility that was formerly used for retailing guns into a state-of-the-art cannabis store.
Before joining the cannabis market, Henson was working in the real estate market. He could not hide his joy as he brought in his first marijuana harvest for Earl and Tom’s cannabis store. He believes the town’s proximity to the Texas border is a huge advantage. The recently passed New Mexico cannabis laws mean that the town can tap into the Texas market and change its economic status within the next two years.
Santa Fe is all set
Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, is also ready to meet cannabis demand within the city and beyond. The city is located about 312 miles from the Texas border. However, being a major city in New Mexico, it is expected demand will be high, especially from the visitors who enter the city from different places all over the world.
One of the key cannabis retail points in Santa Fe is the visitor’s center. The center was built recently, and it houses several galleries, eating places, and clothing stores. Another key store is Minerva Canna, located downtown. According to the store’s manager LeyRoy Roybal, he hopes that the deep-rooted cannabis stigma will end sooner than later. He believes the New Mexico cannabis laws will help to liberate New Mexicans’ hearts and souls. It is like a big dream come true.
The legislators who supported the bill now hope that the legalized New Mexico cannabis market will help eliminate the black market that has remained a problem in the state. They hope that the legal market will create more jobs and bring a stable revenue to the state government.
To date, over 230 new cannabis farmers have been issued growers’ licenses. Among them are retailers and owners of processing facilities. It might take longer before the new growers can bring in any significant harvests to the market. The processors will have to depend on the 35 already established growers. These growers have been in the growing industry for over 15 years, and they understand all the rules they have to follow.
