Anniversary of legal cannabis,

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) - The legalization of recreational cannabis sales in New Mexico reached the one year anniversary Saturday.

The law allows adults to walk into a dispensary and buy cannabis legally.

Linda Trujillo, the superintendent for the Regulation and Licensing Department in New Mexico, says the work at her office started working as soon as Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the act into law.

"We were up and running with the website the day after the senate did their vote because calls were already coming in that morning," said Trujillo. ""We had 2 major things that we were trying to keep in our mind all the time. One, let's make sure that we have enough information out there so that people are making good decisions. The other was that we as an agency, not be a barrier to someone starting their business."

It was challenging at the start as the agency navigated through online system glitches, staffing application processing, and enforcement.

As of February 28 of this year, there have been $440 million in sales in New Mexico.

The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department reports $27 million in excise tax paid and $19-million in gross receipts which includes merchandise and other services.

"Mental health. To ensure that people have access to the healthcare that they need," Trujillo says that is where she would like to see some of the revenue used.