The Cannabis Control Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, a new agency tasked with creating guidelines for a legal cannabis industry in the state, has more than doubled the maximum number of plants a grower could produce.
The change in the agency’s draft rules for cannabis producers — boosting the cap to as many as 10,000 plants from 4,500 — came in response to concerns that the lower limit would lead to a supply shortage, especially among patients in the state’s Medical Cannabis Program. Critics cited a potential rush to buy recreational cannabis when the legal market opens, likely sometime in early 2022.
It became legal June 29 for people 21 and older in New Mexico to use, grow and possess limited amounts of cannabis.
That same day, the Cannabis Control Division held a virtual hearing with stakeholders on a set of proposed rules from growers. Based on concerns raised at the hearing, the agency increased the initial maximum plant count for growers to 8,000. Producers also would be able to apply for approval of production increases in increments of 500 plants, with a total cap of 10,000.
Read more at santafenewmexican.com