PORTALES, New Mexico – Recreational marijuana is set to be legal in New Mexico Friday, and dispensaries throughout the Land of Enchantment are gearing up for new waves of customers.
Southwest Organic Producers has dispensaries in different locations across the state, and it’s important they make sure their customers – old or new – understand what’s okay and what isn’t when it comes to buying marijuana.
Adam Swisher, the general manager of the Portales dispensary, said, “I feel like everybody’s super pumped for it to actually be recreational because now they don’t have to buy off the streets. The medicinal patients, they won’t get tax and they won’t have a limit as to what they can and cannot buy in the store like recreational patients will.”
Devyn Lopez, the Assistant Manager of the same dispensary added, “We are constantly having conversations with our patients and just talking about pretty much anything that they want to know or we want to know.”
This decision will also benefit the New Mexico economy, according to Richard Chambers, a dispensary developer in Eastern New Mexico.
He explained, “In communities like Clovis, Portales, you know, 5 to 10 dispensaries opening up ranges anywhere from 50 to 100 jobs created which is unprecedented. So this is a huge moment for eastern New Mexico. Definitely.”
Of course, any possession of marijuana is still illegal in the state of Texas. Even going across state lines and bringing it back in is not allowed.
Delta Agriculture is the largest producer of raw hemp in the United States with their largest facility in Slaton, and largest program around Lubbock.
President Graham Owens said, “Hemp as opposed to marijuana. You know, besides just the legal difference, it’s industrial crop hemp versus marijuana.”
He said some have estimated as many as 30,000 different uses of industrial hemp. He explained why some might choose hemp over marijuana.
“The CBD still has no THC, or at least nothing that would get you high. So you’re able to enjoy those benefits without being high without, you know, being able to continue about your day,” he said.
Obtaining marijuana and bringing it across state line could violate both state and federal law.
