Las Cruces City Council votes to keep buffer zone for cannabis retailers

UPDATE: In a vote of 4-to-3, Las Cruces City Council voted to keep the existing 300-foot buffer between cannabis retailers microbusinesses and single-family homes.

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- The Las Cruces City Council will consider eliminating a 300-foot buffer between cannabis retailers and microbusinesses and single-family homes.

The council meeting takes place Monday at 1 p.m.

In April of 2021, the state of New Mexico legalized cannabis for adult recreational use with the passage of House Bill 2, which includes the Cannabis Regulation Act. The City has added modifications to chapter 38, which is zoning.

The ordinance that will be discussed today will include how they will define the Cannabis Industry, Cannabis Research Laboratory, Horticulture and Cannabis Micro-business. Cannabis retailers and cannabis micro-businesses were added to commercial zones C-1, C-2 and C-3 with special conditions.