Portraits In Color

A bill to legalize recreational marijuana was tabled in the Judiciary Committee during the 2020 New Mexico legislative session. The year-long lead up to the bill created a comprehensive 187 report that laid out economic forecasts and a regulatory framework to enforce intoxicated driving, work place use, and restricted access to youth. Over two thirds of New Mexicans approved of the measure. The bill was a legislative priority of Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham and had strong bipartisan support. So why couldn’t legislators get this done?New Mexico Representative Javier Martinez, a sponsor of the bill, joins the show to give his perspective on recreational marijuana legalization and the ongoing work ahead to address both public and lawmaker concerns.