Las Cruces City Council votes to support New Mexico’s efforts to legalize cannabis

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - The Las Cruces City Council voted to support a resolution on Monday afternoon in favor of New Mexico legalizing cannabis recreationally.

All the lawmakers voted in support of the resolution except Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

"I just believe that this the most irresponsible legislation that the Legislature has put forth in my 30 years that I've been monitoring politics in New Mexico," Miyagishima said.

Last Wednesday, the bill to legalize cannabis narrowly passed in New Mexico's Senate Public Affairs Committee.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has made clear her support of Senate Bill 115.

“The legislature has the opportunity to pass the largest job-creation program in New Mexico in a decade,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said in January, according to KOB. “Skeptics have been right to preach study and patience. I agree with their caution – and that’s why we haven’t rushed into this issue."

However, the state's medical cannabis users are worried about the bill, one expert told ABC-7 in December

"New Mexico as it stands just does not have the logistics for recreation," said Chad Lozano, secretary of the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Patients Advocate Alliance. "We don't have enough producers. The price to become producers is ridiculous."

This is a symbolic resolution, meaning the City of Las Cruces will provide an opinion to the New Mexico Legislature. However, state lawmakers have the final say as to whether marijuana becomes legal recreationally.