John –  

As Governor, I look for any opportunity to make transformative investments for New Mexico’s future – infrastructure, education, tourism, and most of all, the economy. 

We’ve taken giant steps to create a better future for New Mexico families, but I believe we have a huge opportunity that could transform the lives of so many people in our state: the legalization of recreational cannabis. 

New Mexico’s medical cannabis program has been a game changer for tens of thousands of patients. I knew we had a responsibility to dig deeper on this issue and see how we could protect medical cannabis access to make sure patients get their medicine but also give communities an important new revenue source.

And John, that’s exactly what we did. This year, I convened a bipartisan working group to study the issue, examine the effects of legalized cannabis in other states and make recommendations about what we should do next. They dug through mountains of public policy research and took in more than 200 pages of public comments.

I haven’t made this decision lightly: I’ve heard deep concern for people whose lives have been turned upside down by the inequitable effects of minor marijuana convictions along with an undeniable call for increased public safety, especially for New Mexico children. 

But what really matters here is what you think we should fight for. I’m sitting down with my team tomorrow at 9 a.m. to set our strategy, and I need your input before then. Tell me now:

This is a huge economic opportunity for New Mexico communities – but if we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it right. That’s why, when I put this on our legislative agenda next session in January, I’m going to fight hard to keep cannabis away from kids, invest in law enforcement programs to curb illicit markets, expand economic opportunity for everyone and protect medical cannabis.

Really appreciate the chance to hear from you. Thank you so much for helping to build a brighter future for New Mexico.

Michelle Lujan Grisham