A revised marijuana legalization bill in New Mexico passed its first committee hearing during a special session in New Mexico on Thursday, along with separate legislation to automatically expunge past cannabis convictions. If all goes smoothly, the legislature could send the reform proposals to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) by the end of the week, with sales set to kick off next year. But that’s a big if—discussions over the details of the policy change have spiraled out of control in recent weeks, and it remains to be seen whether a revised proposal can win majority support in both chambers. Four of the bills introduced for the special session involve cannabis in some way. The most significant, HB 2, which passed the House Taxation and Revenue Committee on an 8–4 vote, would legalize the possession and sale of marijuana by adults 21 and older. The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear the legalization bill later Tuesday night, after the conclusion of an ongoing floor session. If passed by the panel, it would be taken up by the full House on Wednesday morning.
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 03/30/2021 22:04:00