SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Legislation to legalize cannabis in New Mexico advanced Thursday toward a decisive Senate floor vote under a framework that emphasizes government oversight of pricing and supplies along with social services for communities where the criminalization of pot has led to aggressive policing. The Senate judiciary committee advanced a Democrat-sponsored bill on a 5-4 vote amid stinging criticism from Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes, who fears the regulatory framework will create a powerful, government-protected monopoly. The Senate has until noon Saturday to send a legalization bill to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Legislators discarded a Republican-sponsored proposal that stressed low taxes and cheap consumer prices to stamp out illicit marijuana.
New Mexico pot legalization bill advances as time runs short
