Supporters Clash On New Mexico Recreational Pot Legalization -- By Morgan Lee
Associated Press
Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana in New Mexico sat down to the legislative bargaining table Tuesday amid broad support for doing so. But lawmakers have stubbornly divergent views on how to stamp out illicit marijuana, address social justice concerns about prior drug convictions and provide a range of economic opportunity in a fledgling industry.
State Senate lawmakers are searching for a bill to advance toward a floor vote and there are four competing proposals to legalize recreational cannabis sales to adults 21 and older.
They emerged after weeks of rocky negotiations focusing on whether to extend cannabis cultivation limits that has helped sustain small-scale medical marijuana producers but led to complaints of inflated retail prices.