I've noticed an interesting thing in Our Fair City of Alamogordo

[thewayne]

Keep in mind it's a very small city, 35,000 or so. And it's being held back, a council of unelected people are trying to keep it in the '50s.

New Mexico legalized recreational marijuana about a year ago.

I think we may have more licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries than churches now! And that's saying a lot! We definitely have more dispensaries than title loan locations now as some dispensaries have moved into said sites!

It's quite amazing how many dispensaries have sprung up. I've seen so many, and it seems like a new one opens every month. Next to our Arby's they put in this building with a BBQ and a title loan company, now the latter is a dispensary. A State Farm agent moved up the road a couple of miles, old site is now a dispensary.

One thing that's tricky about NM and legal recreational MJ is transport. Because we're a border state, there are several Border Patrol checkpoints. And MJ is still against federal law. It makes it hard for distributors to move product from the north to the south and vice-versa as these checkpoints are at certain choke-points on major roads.

My wife bought some chocolates, they don't do much to me that I can notice but she says they help her with her stress levels.

Comments

[disneydream06]

Is the legalization recently new?
I wonder how many of those dispensaries will survive?
I don't see a lot around here, but then again, I am not looking for them either. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugs, Jon

[thewayne]

Medical marijuana was legalized a few years back, recreational a year ago. I have the same doubts about longevity: given five years, how many of these will remain?

While I wouldn't say that I'm going out looking for them, they kinda stand out. Heavily green-themed signs, frequently with an image of the stereotypical leaf, and unusual names.

[disneydream06]

There is a farm on the way up to the Twin Cities that has neon signs, flag, everything but a red carpet welcome may. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kathmandu]

Here in Mass, we've had legalized marijuana for a few years. One of the problems our local dispensaries run into is bookkeeping and banking: it's still illegal on the federal level, so it's very hard to arrange for business bank accounts and ways to accept non-cash payments and such. I get the impression some establishments aren't really doing business yet, so much as being placeholders for when the license-holders can get all their ducks lined up.

[thewayne]

Yeah, they really need to take it off the Schedule 1 list and carve out some exceptions in the banking regulations.

[ndrosen]

I emphatically agree.

[acelightning]

After I had my stroke, I was prescribed medical marijuana after one of my friends gave me a few puffs on her vape, and I felt much better. Once I got set up with the state's system, I switched from vape to edibles, because I felt vapes weren't much less harmful than smoking. And the edibles my dispensary had were hard white peppermint lozenges, which had an off-putting bong-water aftertaste. Lately they've started selling gummies - and they have a "blue raspberry cotton candy" flavor that's really good. If they were just plain candy, I could nibble on them till I"d eaten a whole bowl full - but if I did it with the cannabis gummies, someone would have to climb up and scrape me off the ceiling. But I'd feel great about it!

[thewayne]

My dad really ticked me off on this issue. When he was first diagnosed with cancer, he handled the chemo treatments quite well. We discussed the medical marijuana issue and he agreed to register for it. At that time in AZ, it was medical-only, no recreational legalization at that point. I pull up the forms on his computer and fill them out. Then I tell him it's $150 for the permit and he pulls the plug on it all.

My sister had access to medical marijuana, I think through a friend. She gives my dad a brownie that's kept in the fridge.

The day comes that he isn't feeling too good, so he breaks off a piece of the brownie and eats it. waits a few minutes, and nothing happens. So he eats some more. Ends up eating the WHOLE THING. Then he takes off in the car to go to Home Depot.

And it hits him.

I told him part of the point of getting the license was he would get education and training with a doctor about how to use this stuff. And he didn't get the license, and no training, and overdosed on a brownie not knowing how long it takes before the pot takes effect.

*sigh*

He got home safely, but he was kinda sick from eating so much of it. I can't imagine if he'd had gummies! ;-)

[acelightning]

I switched to gummies as soon as they became available to me. The "mint lozenges" had almost no effect, but they tasted terrible. The gummies are noticeable, and they taste delicious - if they were just candy, I'd eat a whole bowl full of them, but since they're cannabis-infused, someone would have to climb up and scrape me off the ceiling.

As a business person...

[dauntless_heart]

...I worry they won't last because of SO much competition!

Re: As a business person...

[thewayne]

I expect the landscape to be quite different in five years.

[silveradept]

The Dragon Conspiracy Territory has had recreational weed for a while, and we're still in the "dispensaries everywhere!" spot, despite also having a lot of ports and other apparatus that would potentially get in the way. The cash necessity of the transactions is still an issue, but I can't see the feds deciding to take it off any time soon, given how easy it is to use marijuana as a way to prosecute specific groups.

[ndrosen]

I’m in favor of legalization, but I have never smoked or ingested marijuana myself, and don’t plan to. Taking a drug that would interfere with my memory, and might lower my intelligence and make me lazier and more inclined to paranoia doesn’t appeal to me. Besides, I believe that it’s still illegal for federal employees.

[thewayne]

Probably is illegal for federal employees, but unless you're in a position for random drug tests like an equipment operator or law enforcement, probably could get away with it.  I've used marijuana chocolates a couple of times: I have some pretty bad shoulder pain, didn't do much for me.  We also tried CBD oil when it became legal here, found it to be an utter waste on me.  My wife thought she had benefit from it, and she demonstrated it was effective for calming our more nervous dogs when needed.

[kaishin108]

These dispensaries that pop up, it amazes me and also the tax revenue is very impressive!

I saw this article about Ontario, Oregon. It is a 50 minute drive from Boise, ID. In Idaho pot is still a felony. There are 17 dispensaries in Ontario, LOL!!

But no border check points here, too far north.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/18/ontario-oregon-marijuana-481211

[thewayne]

Yep!  When set up well, it is an excellent revenue source for the state and locale.