Federal Officials Targeting New Mexico’s Legal Marijuana Industry at Border Checkpoints
In a surprising turn of events, federal officials in New Mexico have begun targeting state-licensed marijuana companies at border checkpoints and seizing regulated cannabis products. This comes as a shock to many, as New Mexico legalized medical marijuana in 2019 and adult-use cannabis in 2021.
Regulated sales of recreational weed officially began in the state on April 1, 2022, almost a year after Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the legalization bill into law. Since then, New Mexico’s licensed cannabis businesses have faced little interference from federal authorities, similar to other states where marijuana is legal.
However, this situation has recently changed, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seizing regulated cannabis products at least a dozen times in the last two weeks. According to Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, there may be even more unreported seizures.
“There still is a lot of stigma and fear surrounding marijuana, so I imagine this is underreported,” Lewinger told KRQE 13 television news. “These seizures are not only hurting small businesses, but also causing a loss of tax revenue for the state.”
CBP officers are allowed to establish immigration checkpoints within 100 miles of the international border with Mexico to combat smuggling and human trafficking. In states where marijuana is legal, these checkpoints are typically navigated without issue by licensed cannabis companies transporting products within the state. However, this has changed in New Mexico, with Lewinger believing that the state’s cannabis businesses are being unfairly targeted by federal officials.
He is calling on the Biden administration to intervene and direct the Department of Homeland Security to stop wasting resources on a product that poses no threat.
“Our neighboring states, California and Arizona, which also share a border with Mexico, are not experiencing the same increased activity. It seems like this is a situation specific to New Mexico, and The White House needs to step in and put a stop to it,” Lewinger stated. “This is clearly outside of the scope of Customs and Border Patrol.”
Nick Spoor, operations manager at Top Crop Cannabis Co., shared that the company has regularly transported cannabis products through CBP checkpoints without issue. However, on Valentine’s Day, CBP agents seized products from one of the company’s vehicles.
“We’ve been going through that checkpoint for over a year, no questions asked, so obviously we’re doing everything compliantly. It was manifested product,” said Top Crop Cannabis Co. CEO Matt Chadwick. “So, I was shocked, a little blown away and taken back.”
Ethan Ramsey, an employee with Las Cruces cannabis producer
