New Mexico Gov. Plans Special Session for Cannabis Legalization

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) said that she plans to call a special session “in a week or so” after lawmakers failed to approve a cannabis legalization bill by Saturday’s legislative deadline. The governor’s comments came during an address to the Sandoval County Democrats published on Facebook by the Paper.

“We’re gonna get cannabis! Because I am not going to wait another year. We’re gonna win it and it’s gonna have social justice aspects that we know have to be in a package. Alright, so we are gonna keep doing the right work because we’re Democrats and, you know what, we don’t take ‘no’ very well. I don’t do very well with ‘no.’ We have a lot to accomplish, we’re doing it already.” – Lujan Grisham via the Paper

According to an Albuquerque Journal report, the last remaining legalization bill – of five total – was delivered to Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth (D) on Saturday at about 7:30 am with the noon deadline looming. He told the Journal that he decided not to bring up the measure for a vote because it would have prompted a lengthy debate and perhaps led to other bills not getting a vote before the legislature’s adjournment. He added that Republican Sen. Cliff Pirtle had readied several proposed amendments to the measure – along with a supply of energy drinks for the debate.

House Minority Whip Rod Montoya (R) told the Journal that his caucus doesn’t want to return for a special session and that lawmakers would only be called back “because the Democrat leadership in the House and the Senate and the Governor’s Office couldn’t get everything they wanted.”

Only the governor can call a special session and it can only last 30 days.