Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Extraction technician jobs, marijuana journalists and cannabis career fairs are all things we may see in New Mexico if a constitutional amendment introduced by state Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino passes.
Ortiz y Pino's proposed amendment would change the New Mexico constitution, adding a passage that reads: "Possession and personal use of marijuana shall be lawful by persons 21 years of age or older. The legislature shall provide by law for the production, processing, transportation, sale, taxation and acceptable quantities and places of use of marijuana and hemp to protect public health and safety."
In an interview with Albuquerque Business First, Ortiz y Pino said he proposed the amendment last year, but it may have a better chance of passing this time now that economic data from other states' legalization programs are in.
"Since (last year), four more states have legalized, and about 10 others are considering it. And we have the example of those other states to look at. We know what happens when you do this," he said.
So, what happens when you do this?
Colorado is expecting an additional $184 million in tax revenues in just the first 18 months of its legal recreational marijuana program.
And legalizing marijuana created jobs in Colorado. Lots and lots of jobs – more than the much-ballyhooed Tesla Gigafactory promised the state that landed it, in fact.
According to a story by the Christian Science Monitor, there are now 18,000 state-certified marijuana industry workers in Colorado. That's much more than the 6,500 jobs the Tesla Gigafactory is expected to create when it's built in Nevada.
And that's only direct employment – there are potentially many times more jobs being created in Colorado's tourism industry, for example. Legalized marijuana certainly played a role in Colorado's economy being named one of the strongest in the nation last year.
The state of Nevada ended up committing to $1.4 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to convince Tesla to open its factory there, around $200,000 per job. Compare that to Colorado's example, where the state created up to 18,000 jobs so far, and made money in the process.
The fate of New Mexico's bill is far from certain. Gov. Susana Martinez is on record opposing it.
But in this case, the governor wouldn't have veto power. Since Ortiz y Pino introduced the measure as a constitutional amendment, if approved by the Legislature it would go directly to a vote by the public and a simple majority of "yes" voters would ratify it.
And what about law enforcement opposition to the changes? In Colorado, at least, some police officers have come to support the program. One year after legalization, youth drug use is actually down, and a Denver police officer recently told a reporter in Colorado that "everything's fine" and "the sky isn't falling."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legal marijuana: bigger than Tesla? - Albuquerque Business First
Author: Andy Beale
Contact: abeale@bizjournals.com
Photo Credit: Brent Lewin
Website: Business News - The Business Journals
Ortiz y Pino's proposed amendment would change the New Mexico constitution, adding a passage that reads: "Possession and personal use of marijuana shall be lawful by persons 21 years of age or older. The legislature shall provide by law for the production, processing, transportation, sale, taxation and acceptable quantities and places of use of marijuana and hemp to protect public health and safety."
In an interview with Albuquerque Business First, Ortiz y Pino said he proposed the amendment last year, but it may have a better chance of passing this time now that economic data from other states' legalization programs are in.
"Since (last year), four more states have legalized, and about 10 others are considering it. And we have the example of those other states to look at. We know what happens when you do this," he said.
So, what happens when you do this?
Colorado is expecting an additional $184 million in tax revenues in just the first 18 months of its legal recreational marijuana program.
And legalizing marijuana created jobs in Colorado. Lots and lots of jobs – more than the much-ballyhooed Tesla Gigafactory promised the state that landed it, in fact.
According to a story by the Christian Science Monitor, there are now 18,000 state-certified marijuana industry workers in Colorado. That's much more than the 6,500 jobs the Tesla Gigafactory is expected to create when it's built in Nevada.
And that's only direct employment – there are potentially many times more jobs being created in Colorado's tourism industry, for example. Legalized marijuana certainly played a role in Colorado's economy being named one of the strongest in the nation last year.
The state of Nevada ended up committing to $1.4 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to convince Tesla to open its factory there, around $200,000 per job. Compare that to Colorado's example, where the state created up to 18,000 jobs so far, and made money in the process.
The fate of New Mexico's bill is far from certain. Gov. Susana Martinez is on record opposing it.
But in this case, the governor wouldn't have veto power. Since Ortiz y Pino introduced the measure as a constitutional amendment, if approved by the Legislature it would go directly to a vote by the public and a simple majority of "yes" voters would ratify it.
And what about law enforcement opposition to the changes? In Colorado, at least, some police officers have come to support the program. One year after legalization, youth drug use is actually down, and a Denver police officer recently told a reporter in Colorado that "everything's fine" and "the sky isn't falling."
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Legal marijuana: bigger than Tesla? - Albuquerque Business First
Author: Andy Beale
Contact: abeale@bizjournals.com
Photo Credit: Brent Lewin
Website: Business News - The Business Journals
