Recreational marijuana is legal in 11 states. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who released this week for the upcoming legislative session, is pushing for New Mexico to be next.
Filed Thursday, Jan. 16, would legalize recreational marijuana in New Mexico, which the governor says could create 11,000 new jobs in the first year.
Last year, a similar bill stalled in the Senate Finance Committee. One of that bill鈥檚 opponents was , which had concerns about marijuana use at work and driving under the influence.
Lujan Grisham spoke at a luncheon hosted by the chamber Thursday.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure there are folks who have trepidation about cannabis. That鈥檚 fair,鈥� she said.
She urged those in attendance to support this year鈥檚 version of the bill in part by highlighting what鈥檚 changed. 鈥淚 feel really good about how we resolved so many of the issues," Lujan Grisham said. "Taxing it right, training, making really incredible tough regulatory standards. You know, in states like Colorado actually, DWI went down."
The total number of DUIs in Colorado went down 15 percent, but the number of times they included marijuana did go up slightly, .
The 30-day 2020 legislative session begins Tuesday.
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