Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
An emergency state-level rule change doubled the number of cannabis plants that licensed growers can cultivate at one time, but some in the industry are concerned that the change is too little, too late to meet demand for the start of recreational sales in April.
“Building the infrastructure to double plant count could take months to years for most operators, and plants put in the ground today won’t be ready in April,” said Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, in a prepared statement.
The emergency rule change, which went into place last week, increases the maximum number of mature cannabis plants that licensed growers can grow at one time from 10,000 to 20,000.
In a record of finding to adopt the emergency rule change, Cannabis Control Division director Kristen Thomson wrote that the change is necessary to ensure patients enrolled in New Mexico’s medical cannabis program don’t face shortages due to demand from the recreational market, while keeping the state on track to begin recreational sales on April 1.
“The supply of medical cannabis will become increasingly threatened without an adequate supply of plants,” Thomson wrote.
Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ultra Health, the state’s largest cannabis producer, called the change “great news,” but said it likely wouldn’t significantly change the amount of cannabis that will be available in April. He said…
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Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
An emergency state-level rule change doubled the number of cannabis plants that licensed growers can cultivate at one time, but some in the industry are concerned that the change is too little, too late to meet demand for the start of recreational sales in April.
“Building the infrastructure to double plant count could take months to years for most operators, and plants put in the ground today won’t be ready in April,” said Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, in a prepared statement.
The emergency rule change, which went into place last week, increases the maximum number of mature cannabis plants that licensed growers can grow at one time from 10,000 to 20,000.
In a record of finding to adopt the emergency rule change, Cannabis Control Division director Kristen Thomson wrote that the change is necessary to ensure patients enrolled in New Mexico’s medical cannabis program don’t face shortages due to demand from the recreational market, while keeping the state on track to begin recreational sales on April 1.
“The supply of medical cannabis will become increasingly threatened without an adequate supply of plants,” Thomson wrote.
Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of Ultra Health, the state’s largest cannabis producer, called the change “great news,” but said it likely wouldn’t significantly change the amount of cannabis that will be available in April. He said…
