Because more than $300,000 worth of marijuana has been seized in recent months at highway checkpoints in southern New Mexico, licensed cannabis providers are complaining to the U.S. Border Patrol, which is claiming its right to seize cannabis shipments, including commercial, state-authorized supplies.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security for the United States, had a conversation this week with the Democratic governor of New Mexico, according to the governor.
This week, the impeachment allegations against Mayorkas were dropped. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has expressed worries about the perception that New Mexico looks to be subjecting cannabis enterprises to more scrutiny than other states that do not border Mexico and have regulated markets.
Over $1 billion has been sold in New Mexico through authorized cannabis sales since the recreational market’s regulation and taxation started two years ago.
However, cannabis transit drivers claim they have been held for hours while supplies are seized at Border Patrol checkpoints, which are permanently installed and usually situated roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the U.S. border.
These checkpoints filter incoming traffic for illegal migrants and drugs.
An communication from Michael Coleman, the governor’s spokesperson, stated that Secretary Mayorkas has reassured the governor that federal laws pertaining to marijuana legalization were unchanged.
In any case, the governor and her team are developing a plan to safeguard New Mexico’s marijuana market.
Last week, managers of ten cannabis companies, including transporters, petitioned New Mexico’s congressional delegation to facilitate the free passage of shipments.
Read Also: Alabama Senate to Consider Bill Altering Medical Cannabis Commission’s Role
They stated that several couriers had been sidelined for “secondary inspection” and fingerprinted at Border Patrol checkpoints, and that jobs and investments were at risk.
According to the letter, “We request that operators who have had product federally seized should be allowed to either get their product returned or be monetarily compensated for the losses they’ve sustained.”
Sen. Martin Heinrich of the United States stated that the Department of Homeland Security need to concentrate on pressing issues rather than cannabis vendors who abide by state law.
The senator made the following statement in reference to the parent organization of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, “Stopping the flow of illicit fentanyl into our country should be the Department of Homeland Security’s focus at these checkpoints, not seizing cannabis that’s being transported in compliance with state law. New Mexicans are depending on federal law enforcement to do everything they can to keep our communities safe. Our resources should be used to maximize residents’ safety, not distract from it.
