New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will sign a marijuana legalization bill into law, making it the 16th state to legalize recreational marijuana.
Once the bill is inked, possession of up to two ounces of marijuana will be allowed. Citizens will also be allowed to grow six plants at home and any past marijuana convictions for personal use in the state will be expunged.
“Workers will benefit from the opportunity to build careers in this new economy,” Grisham said. “Entrepreneurs will benefit from the opportunity to create lucrative new enterprises. The state and local governments will benefit from the additional revenue. Consumers will benefit from the standardization and regulation that comes with a bona fide industry.”
Grisham said in a statement that workers, entrepreneurs and the government would benefit from the new industry. The legalization will help to create jobs and tax revenue.
“And those who have been harmed by this country’s failed war on drugs, disproportionately communities of color, will benefit from our state’s smart, fair and equitable new approach to past low-level convictions,” she said.
New Mexico became the second state within 24 hours to legalize weed. This week, the state of New York also legalized recreational marijuana.
The bill was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday.
“This is a historic day in New York — one that rights the wrongs of the past by putting an end to harsh prison sentences, embraces an industry that will grow the Empire State’s economy, and prioritizes marginalized communities so those that have suffered the most will be the first to reap the benefits,” Cuomo said in a statement.
New Yorkers are now allowed to possess up to three ounces of cannabis for recreational use, or 24 grams of concentrated forms of the drug, like oils. Smoking is still not permitted in schools, workplaces or inside a car.
