New Mexico Appoints New Cannabis Control Director While North Carolina Congressman Threatens Industry with No Pot Law

The state of New Mexico’s Cannabis Control Division has reached to the successful Colorado Cannabis markets in seeking a new director.  Todd Stevens, was selected via an appointment that follows a year of turnover in the role. 

His appointment comes as the division has begun ramping up enforcement against noncompliant businesses having recently revoked a license on one of over 2000 issued over the last year. 

“In the past year, New Mexico has established a thriving new industry, licensed more than 2,000 cannabis businesses, and held those businesses to the high standard that comes with an adult-use cannabis market,” Stevens said in a statement to the Albuquerque Journal. “I am committed to building on this success while protecting consumer safety and promoting business practices that help this new industry continue to be a transformational economic driver.”

Stevens comes from one of Colorado’s largest cannabis operators, Native Roots Cannabis Co., which has locations throughout the state. Native Roots grew from a small cultivation and extraction facility in Denver that produced medical marijuana products for patients under Colorado’s original caregiver model. Eventually, Native Roots opened a medical dispensary on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver in order to better serve its patients. In 2013, it merged with thr Dandelion in Boulder to create better access to medical marijuana. During that time, they kicked off construction of a state-of-the-art grow facility, at over 173,000 square feet. That facility enabled them to cultivate world-class cannabis, develop concentrated raw goods through CO2 and BHO extraction, and manufacture a variety of finished goods.  Today, they have two state of the art grow facilities and more than 20 locations across Colorado operating as Colorado’s most successful operation

Todd Stevens started with the company in 2015 and worked as a store manager, district manager, and most recently as manager of training and professional development, a role he assumed in 2021.

At Native Roots, he designed and developed customized and interactive classroom and e-learning solutions, which included a retail sales training program. He also, in his time as a district manager, oversaw the operations of five stores.

Kristen Thomson, the state’s first cannabis director, started in the role in November 2021 — just months after the Cannabis Regulation Act was signed into law. But Thomson left less than a year in when she sent in her resignation letter in June 2022.

Carolina Barrera led for a short period before handing it over to Andrew Vallejos, then the acting director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, in August 2022. Vallejos filled in as acting director through March before resigning. RLD Superintendent Linda Trujillo assumed the role of acting director since Vallejos’ departure.

Despite turnover for the top position at the CCD, the division has ramped up enforcement against noncompliant businesses recently — a direct response to industry leaders who have for months discussed the issue of illicit activity in the market, such as the sale of out-of-state cannabis products.

The CCD in July revoked its first license when it published a final order against Paradise Exotics Distro, a licensee that inaccurately reported sales and sold cannabis with California stampings.

A state district judge also approved a preliminary injunction this month against Sawmill Sweetleaf following a petition from the CCD, a first under a new provision in law that went into effect in June.

Also this month, the division has revoked one more cannabis license and filed three additional notices of contemplated action against cannabis businesses.

The Albuquerque Journal reports via a statement from Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, that Stevens’ experience will prove beneficial to the New Mexico Cannabis Control Department as it “continues to work closely with the New Mexico cannabis industry to focus on enforcement, which is the key priority for this stage of our industry’s development.”

Stevens appointment comes as there is pressure on the industry and uncertainty from the Federal Government in how the Federal Government should proceed in relation to states rights and the cannabis business. 

At the Federal level, this month, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper reintroduced the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act, a bill that directs the Attorney General to develop a framework for federal cannabis

The PREPARE Act would develop a framework for federal legalization based on Colorado’s Task Force. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the legislation—titled the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment Act (PREPARE) Act was reintroduced August 1st, 2023.

Countering that legislation with an assault on states such as New Mexico that have legalized cannabis, and targeting the Native American Communities of New Mexico and North Carolina, Congressman Chuck Edwards has announced a plan to sponsor the “No Pot Act.”  Congressman Edwards proposed legislation is punitive and would defund Native American Nations, block the tribal sovereignty of Native American Tribes and set a precedent for the Federal Government to act against the self determination of Native American peoples within their lands. 

In New Mexico the Wõ Poví Cannabis shop opened in Pojoaque Pueblo. The shop was able to open under an intergovernmental agreement between the government of New Mexico with guidelines from the New Mexico Cannabis Control Department and Pojoaque and Picuris pueblos. The agreements are meant to keep federal agents from interfering with the two pueblos’ cannabis markets.

Pojoaque and Picuris are two of the 23 tribal nations in New Mexico and the only ones who have publicly pursued regulating cannabis sales and production. These tribes would loose all Federal funding under this proposed legislation. 

Stevens has his work cut out for him in bringing stability to the executive suite of the CCD, and in partnering with the Federal Government, on a path forward to decriminalize cannabis at the Federal level. 

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