Not every town selling cannabis

The legal sale of recreational marijuana in New Mexico began April 1, but don’t expect to buy any in Santa Rosa or Roswell just yet.

In Santa Rosa, according to licensing information from the state’s Regulation and Licensing Department database, no one has applied for a license to open up a dispensary for retail sales in Guadalupe County, although three have applied for licenses to produce cannabis there.

In Roswell, no dispensary in the city will be licensed to sell marijuana for recreational users until May at the earliest, according to a city official.

“We have a lot of inquiries,” said Kevin Maevers, community development director, “but again it is the overall process and the costs associated with going into this business that a lot of our smaller folks have not anticipated.”

“The license to operate here at the local level is totally controlled by the city of Roswell. We have been working on the ordinances since last June when the state passed their ordinances,” he said, “so all of our local dispensaries are aware that we have a process in place in the city.”

He said that some dispensaries have sought business licenses at the last minute, not understanding that it takes 60 to 75 days before the city can approve the necessary permits and licenses.

Medical cannabis sales are still allowed locally by licensed businesses, as that was made legal in the state in 2017, but Maevers said that only two existing medical dispensaries have filed applications to allow for recreational marijuana sales.