Marijuana sales to begin in Las Cruces on Friday; Mayor remains opposed

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - On Friday, recreational marijuana will be legally sold for the first time across New Mexico. For those aged 21 and older, cannabis will be available in various forms at dispensaries in the region.

But with the legalization of a drug, the concern continues about the negative impacts that may come about in the coming months, especially for the younger generation.

Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima has openly stated he does not support the legalization of recreational marijuana. "I'll be very candid and say I'm very disappointed in the Governor by her calling a special session to pass this because I think when the time happens, and people start reeling from the effects of this, really she stands squarely to blame for the passage of this."

According to Mayor Miyagishima, there have been 72 applications to start up recreational cannabis dispensaries in the City. "I ponder to think what would happen to see all 72 to be here - that would be very difficult to see," said the Mayor. Even if only half of them successfully open, cannabis in the coming months will still be readily available to those who want it in the coming months.

He talked about his kids, who are now all in their 20s, "if they were a little bit younger, that'd be just one more thing that I'd need to worry about. Exactly what's going to happen? Could they possibly get their hands on it?"

The question lies, what has been done to prevent those who should not have access to the substance from getting a hold of the substance? Kids and teenagers often experiment with substances throughout their adolescence.