SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KTSM) — Federal agents seizing legalized cannabis products is a growing concern for New Mexico business owners in the marijuana industry.
After two years of recreational cannabis being legal in the state, cannabis business owners say their product is being seized at Border Patrol checkpoints.
Matt Chadwick, owner of Top Crop Cannabis Co., said he had 22 pounds of product taken at an Alburquerque checkpoint on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
The seized product was retailed at $139,000 and his operations manager, Nick Spoor, was detained for four hours.
“It’s almost like we’re operating in two separate states, the northern and southern portion of the state, and everybody up north doesn’t have any problems with it,” Chadwick said.
Chadwick and other cannabis businesses in New Mexico have formed a coalition to call for change within the legal system.
“We’re just asking for a sit down to try and work with us and find a solution that allows us to operate efficiently. Maybe it’s a way that we declare our product as we’re going through the checkpoint, and maybe there are some trainings that we can do that show we have these listed drivers. This is what the manifest says. This is how you check for all these products. There’s got to be a solution in a way that, you know, both parties win in this,” Chadwick explained.
Since the recreational sale and usage of cannabis became legal in New Mexico, the market has exceeded $1 billion in profit.
From that profit, 20 percent of cannabis sales go back to the state and municipalities. Chadwick says that the percentage will be felt greatly economically if products continue to be seized.
“I believe that with all the companies in the coalition that we work with, there’s over $300,000 worth of product that has been seized up to this point,” said Chadwick.
“People’s jobs are going to be at risk for this stuff. A lot of these other companies don’t quite have the bandwidth we do. So, we’re standing up for everybody and we’re trying to establish this coalition to create positive change for the industry as a whole,” said Chadwick.
KTSM reached out New Mexico Cannabis Control Division about the developing problems, which said, “The Cannabis Control Division is aware of products from licensed New Mexico cannabis businesses being seized by agents of the Border Patrol at federal checkpoints. This is a concern for the Division and the cannabis industry in New Mexico. We are working to collect as much information as we can related to this issue and hope to work with authorities at the federal level towards a proper resolution.”
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