Otero County approves cannabis ordinance

The Otero County Commission unanimously approved an amended Cannabis Ordinance May 5 following a public comment meeting. 

The amended ordinance struck wording which would have restricted hours of operation for cannabis businesses to between 7 a.m. and 12 a.m. during weekdays.

Also removed from the ordinance language were sections guiding use of nonfeminized seeds.  

Female cannabis seeds yield buds that are rich in cannabinoids and only yield female cannabis seeds. Non-feminized or male seeds yield about half female plants and half male plants and are generally used for cannabis breeding programs, according to medical marijuana resource website WayofLeaf.com.

Cannabis industry insiders offered input on the ordinance while a few voiced opposition to any cannabis industry presence in Otero County.

"I appreciate the input we've had from you all," Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin said. "A lot of the times, those that are on the side of legalization want no mandates and no regulation at all and you have those on the other side that don't want any marijuana at all in the community and they don't want to have anything to do with it.

"Through our Board (of County Commissioners) and our position we can help to find that balance that works for everybody and do our best to respect everybody's rights on both sides."

Daniel Buck from the Southwest Cannabis Trade Association said he agreed with the proposed ordinance during the public meeting.

Story continues below.

"We'd like to see a diligence in safety, and we agree currently with the policy you are implementing," Buck said. 

Sign up for our newsletter, the Daily Briefing, to get stories like this one delivered straight to your inbox every morning.

Buck and other cannabis growers suggested the creation of a committee to advise on the industry and state law.

"You should be happy that your commission has been so liberal with the ordinance they're implementing," Buck said. 

Local barber Kate Sturgess, however, said the County should approach the new industry with an eye for "balance."

"I am a barber by trade, I talk to hundreds of people per month who come into the shop," Sturgess said. "Some of them are smokers, other people are very, very conservative: pastors and that type of thing... I think more than anything I hear currently within the county or in the city is balance."

Sturgess asked the Commission to take into account the personal political philosophies of the majority of Otero County residents.

"To have cannabis and to enjoy cannabis and the County and the City to make money on it," Sturgess said. "But also, to take into consideration the conservative people who live in this town and also the Air Force that we really encourage here." 

Even though cannabis is legal for recreational consumption in New Mexico, it is still illegal to recreationally consume cannabis by federal law. 

Federal facilities such as Holloman Air Force Base and federal lands like White Sands National Park do not allow any use of cannabis on their respective premises.

This story has been updated to clarify cannabis usage on federal property.

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at  AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call 1-877-301-0013.