New Mexico has been an intriguing state when it comes to cannabis laws. In 2010 New Mexico started the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes. Activists have been trying ever since to get the full legalization of cannabis. This article aims to update you about the cannabis license in New Mexico.
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Cannabis license in New Mexico – background
Carlos Martinez is a cannabis law attorney in New Mexico. His firm provides services for cannabis law troubles. In a podcast interview, Martinez said that he has been practicing cannabis law since 2010 when the medical license was introduced. The state of New Mexico first legalized medical use and licenses. In 2015, those laws were revised. Recently, the state has been doing legalization for recreational purposes.
Type of legalization
New Mexico has gone for open market legalization. It is not going to be a limited market like Chicago and Seattle. New Mexico cannabis market is looking to be an open market like Michigan. The open market system has a lot of potential for business expansion and growth.
Cannabis license process
New Mexico state has kept the legalization process very simple. The state has opened an online portal where you can submit your application. The information that the portal requires is very little. The online portal application is not everything that the state requires to issue a license. After applying on the portal, that state replies in 90 days. The New Mexico Regulation and licensing department reviews all the applications. The department contacts the applicants who are qualified to get a license. Those applicants are further required to submit documents that the state needs for issuing a license. The average time that this process takes can be around 5-10 days.
- Apply on the online portal
- A 90-day waiting period
- Get the operation set up
- Provide all the documents that the department needs
The system is brand new, and law enforcement has to get used to the rules. Cannabis law attorneys have not designed the cannabis license in New Mexico. Legislatures and senators made this law. Hence there are a few complications.
If you have 2000 dollars, you can apply for a license and get your application completed. The license application fee is set at 2000 dollars. After your application, the state will get back to you within nighty days. Within that period, you can get your operation started and start growing cannabis.
Inspection for a license
In New Mexico, the state would send a team to verify the operation when it comes to medical licensing. In the new laws, an inspection of the process is not mentioned. Experts think it is good to inspect an operation and mark it free of all hazards before issuing a license. The regulation and licensing department are making the rules on the go. It has not all been pre-planned, so there is a possibility that they will include inspection requirements as well. The whole process is a little mystical.
Contents of Application
In other pro-legalization states, the application forms are hundreds of pages long. The application for a cannabis license in New Mexico is substantially less demanding in that prospect.
It requires;
- A layout of the building
- Background checks
- Drafts for standard operation procedures
- Cannabis disposable procedure
- The scale of your operation
- Documentation of water right
The business owners can apply for a license themselves. The state has the right to check out the operation to ensure that it has all the listed facilities. If the listed facilities conflict with the actual setup, then the state has a right to suspend your license.
To avoid a lot of confusion, business owners can hire cannabis law firms.
