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The U.S. Border Patrol is asserting its authority to seize cannabis shipments — including commercial, state-authorized supplies — as licensed cannabis providers say more than $300,000 worth of marijuana has been confiscated in recent months at highway checkpoints in Southern New Mexico.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the disruptions prompted a discussion this week with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Lujan Grisham says she voiced concerns the scrutiny of cannabis companies appears to be greater in New Mexico than in states with regulated markets that aren’t along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Authorized cannabis sales in New Mexico have exceeded $1 billion since regulation and taxation of the recreational market began two years ago. Yet cannabis transport drivers say they have been detained hours while supplies are seized at permanent Border Patrol checkpoints that inspect inbound traffic for unauthorized migrants and illegal narcotics, typically located about 60 miles from the U.S. border.
