During a marathon hearing that stretched into the early hours on Thursday, a New Mexico Senate panel narrowly approved a bill to legalize marijuana, setting up a floor vote with just days to go before the end of the legislative session. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the measure, House Bill 12, on a 5–4 vote, with Chairman Joe Cervantes (D) siding with the panel’s three Republican members in opposition. Many saw the Judiciary Committee, where a similar legalization bill died last year, as the legislation’s biggest obstacle on its path to becoming law. The proposal has already passed the House of Representatives last month and earned the backing of key Senate leaders. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) has also repeatedly called for the policy change and included legalization in her 2021 legislative agenda.
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 03/18/2021 08:22:00