ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With leisure cannabis now in New Mexico, cities throughout the state are adjusting their native legal guidelines, together with in Albuquerque. Town is engaged on amending or repealing present ordinances that criminalize marijuana now that leisure hashish is authorized.
“Our ordinances in lots of areas reply to what state and federal actions are,” mentioned District Two Albuquerque Metropolis Councilor, Isaac Benton. “They have been misdemeanor kind points that we had as our coverage and wish to regulate accordingly.”
Councilor Benton is sponsoring three payments altering native hashish ordinances. The primary one amends the Albuquerque Clean Indoor Air Act, which solely regulates tobacco, to incorporate hashish. It bans hashish from being smoked at locations just like the Albuquerque Biopark and on public transit.
The second invoice requires the town’s Marijuana Possession Ordinance, which makes it unlawful to have marijuana, repealed fully. Nonetheless, below the brand new state regulation, it’s nonetheless unlawful for somebody to have greater than two ounces on them. KRQE Information 13 requested Councilor Benton if there will likely be a brand new native ordinance to replicate that.
“It’s not essential for us to try this. we’re nonetheless tasked with implementing state ordinances,” mentioned Councilor Benton. Proper now, Albuquerque’s legal code makes it unlawful to make or ship drug paraphernalia, together with supplies used to devour hashish. Councilor Benton can be asking to take away references of hashish paraphernalia from the legal code.
The three payments to alter the ordinances have been launched to metropolis council on Monday and can now work their approach by the committee course of. In June, metropolis council shot downzoning proposals that might’ve stored leisure hashish companies from establishing store on essential streets like Central and near-religious establishments. Nonetheless, it did approve a moratorium on permits for leisure hashish companies for Outdated City.
