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New Mexico adult use bill passes the full House.
Slowly but surely, HB 12, introduced by Rep. Javier Martínez, has been moving through New Mexico’s legislature. On Friday, the House voted 39-31 to pass that bill.
As Cannabis Wire has reported, of the two adult use proposals that were introduced in the House, HB 12 was more focused on equity. Now, it remains to be seen which legislation advances in the Senate, where three adult use bills have been introduced, including one that is similar to HB 12.
On Saturday, the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation committee discussed, for several hours, SB 13, SB 288, and SB 363, with the bills’ sponsors. They agreed to meet over the coming week to discuss how best to merge aspects of the Senate legislation with HB 12, and to discuss the outcome again next Saturday.
Committee chair Senator Benny Shendo, Jr. ended the conversation on Saturday by telling the sponsors to “now huddle and work together and come back to this committee on Saturday” so that “hopefully we can move legislation out of here to Judiciary.”
Another effort to bring adult use cannabis sales to DC.
While adult use cannabis has been legal in Washington, DC since 2014, only possession and home grow are covered, not sales. (Since 2014, Congress has included in appropriations legislation language that prevents DC from using any funds to regulate adult use sales.)
Mayor Muriel Bowser is again trying to change that. On Friday, Bowser introduced the Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021.
“This is about safety, equity, and justice,” said Mayor Bowser in a statement. “Through this legislation, we can fulfill the will of DC voters, reduce barriers for entering the cannabis industry, and invest in programs that serve residents and neighborhoods hardest hit by the criminalization of marijuana.”
Biden administration issues guidance on cannabis use and federal employment.
Late last week, the Office of Personnel Management issued a memo on “Assessing the Suitability/Fitness of Applicants or Appointees on the Basis of Marijuana Use; Maintaining a Drug-Free Workplace.” While the basic expectations for federal employees are the same, which is that they do not use cannabis, the memo emphasizes that “the individual’s conduct must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine the impact, if any, to the integrity and the efficiency of the Government,” and it acknowledges the changing landscape.
The memo begins: “Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have removed criminal prohibitions on medical and recreational marijuana use by adults age 21 or older, and an additional 33 states permit medical use of marijuana or of the cannabis-derived compound cannabidiol (CBD). Nearly half (49%) of surveyed American adults say they have used marijuana, according to SAMHSA’s 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. As more state laws have changed, federal agencies are increasingly encountering individuals whose knowledge, skills, and abilities make them well qualified for a position, but whose marijuana use may or may not be of concern when considering the suitability or fitness of the individual for the position.”
