New Mexico
The story of illegal to legal marijuana in New Mexico – Valencia County News-Bulletin
first person
John Lopez
I’ve written about marijuana in several (letters) to the editor in the Valencia County News-Bulletin and the Albuquerque Journal.
In each opinion, I revealed how the CEO of Ultra, the largest producer/vendor of marijuana in New Mexico was able to get a head start on the business way before it was legalized by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who lobbied the Legislature to do so.
The democratically-controlled Legislature was ready to introduce it and get more than enough Democrats to vote in the affirmative when the bill came before them. Lujan and the Ultra CEO coupled with all the representatives and senators who supported the legislation were elated. All they could see was thousands of new dollars coming into the state coffers for them to spend stupidly as they were used to doing.
Additionally, I as a “no” vote warned of the dangers that would result, the great human heartache and further erosion of the family unit and the population of New Mexico in general, especially the younger members, many who were already experimenting with mind altering drugs and alcohol. Age limits imposed by the law are as effective as is the purchase of alcohol. Underage potential users will find ways to get around any regulations that may supposedly control the sale of the products.
Further, about the same time that work was being directed on marijuana, other players were working on legalizing hemp. This effort was being directed by a representative who presented the effort as a harmless agricultural plant that would help not harm the population when used appropriately. People didn’t know then that the hemp plant and by products were the same plant that produces the ingredients to produce marijuana.
Recently, we learned that youngsters who were given, supposedly, harmless gummies laced with hemp, experienced poisonous results, i.e., nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath, etc., many requiring visits to emergency rooms. Clearly, the representative who was pushing the legalization of hemp was in cahoots with the marijuana crowd, all who had evil thoughts in their minds about huge profits that would accrue to all of them.
The representative who led the hemp charge left his office, I’m sure, because he did not want to face the consequences that we are now dealing with in addition to a state-wide water shortage exacerbated by haphazard agricultural practices.
Marijuana legalization was headed by a gentleman who had worked for the state of New Mexico several years. His last job, I believe, was as secretary of the Human Services Department. While employed by the state, he set the stage for New Mexico to eventually legalize marijuana. This man is very smart and used his employment to lobby legislators and others regarding marijuana. When he left his job, he continued lobbying efforts and concomitantly started getting ready to become a marijuana entrepreneur.
He purchased property in Corrales under the pretense that he was going to develop a vineyard. There was some push back by neighbors who were concerned about excessive water consumption that he overcame. When the time came, he was ready to farm marijuana. Water consumption was now a moot issue.
He proved to the opposition that the new crop would not use any more water than what the grape vines had consumed. Water consumption, however, continues to be a problem throughout the state. Regardless, once he got the state permit, he launched his first marijuana farm, followed by others throughout the state. As I indicated before, he is now the “king” of the marijuana farmers.
Now, to be clear, the “king’s” lobbying also included talks of benefits to New Mexico from hemp, which was pushed as a totally safe and friendly agricultural product, all the while keeping an eye on the more potentially harmful and more lucrative product, marijuana.
The employee and lobbyist previously mentioned is indeed, today, the “king” of marijuana growers and vendors. The legislator who succeeded in legalizing hemp is getting his rewards from the supposedly harmless products derived from hemp. Interestingly enough, hemp is the plant that also produces the chemical required to make marijuana. This gentleman was a state representative when the “king” was pushing legalization of marijuana. What a coincidence!
New Mexico loves the revenues being generated by the sale of hemp and marijuana products. Once legalized, the “king” was already producing plants in what started out as a vineyard. Initially, little or no consideration was given to water consumption or equally important, mental and physical problems that hemp and marijuana would produce and we would have to address in an already medically under-served state.
It is only today in 2024 that the New Mexico leadership and medical and law enforcement personnel are seeing the negatives of the wild and senseless legislative efforts that did generate the expected revenue for them to spend, as well as the expenditures that would be required for services to address the negative impacts.
Incidentally, our governor and legislators, along with John Baynor, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, can be credited and thanked for the mess that legalization of hemp and marijuana have handed us. You see, when Baynor was in office, he opposed legalization of marijuana in the country. Once he retired, in short order he supposedly changed his mind, turned pro-legalization and quickly accepted a position on the board of directors of a huge marijuana producer based in New York. To my knowledge, he continues to serve and make bundles.
The push to legalize marijuana across the country continues. Concomitantly, the social, physical and mental problems related to consumption of the products continue to pop up and grow exponentially. New Mexico’s government shows some signs of concern, but, beyond minimal concern, it is more concerned and thrilled with the revenue marijuana and gas and oil are bringing into state coffers. They are like kids going crazy in an ice cream shop, spending public money like there was no end, or more appropriately, “como marranos trompudos!” By the way, what else is new?
Incidentally, three cheers for the city of Belen, its mayor and council for standing up and limiting the number of marijuana shops to seven! Congratulations!
Good luck you senseless servants of the people. Hopefully, the Lord’s words will intervene and bring you to your senses. Otherwise, we wait for the time when water needs create other more serious problems along with social/health problems, when you fully understand, the monster you created, the monster you can’t force back into the magic lamp.
In closing, permit me to beseech you to think about all the human beings that you have hurt and are going to hurt all because of your short sightedness.
(John Lopez is a retired professor and administrator. He has a doctorate from New Mexico State University and taught at Western New Mexico University. He retired as vice president of academic affairs from Luna Community College. He lives in Bosque Farms with his wife, Anna.)
John Lopez, guest columnist
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A leader in the New Mexico Republican Party was arrested Wednesday, accused of a deadly hit-and-run in Las Cruces.
Former Treasurer of the Republican Party in New Mexico, Kimberly Ann Skaggs, 54, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene and tampering with evidence, jail records show.
Police documents show the charges stem from a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened Monday afternoon, which killed 40-year-old bicyclist, Andrew Brown.
Investigators believed Skaggs was involved after an investigation revealed that Skaggs allegedly was driving fast in the area, fled the scene after the crash and then tried to hide the vehicle from authorities.
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The investigation
According to police documents, a witness at the scene of the crash– 850 N. Fairacres Rd.– described seeing a dark blonde-haired woman flee in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.
Afterwards, investigators said they saw on Flock cameras– A.I. powered license plate readers– a black Cadillac Escalade traveling near the site of the crash minutes before the incident.
READ MORE: Dona Ana County expands Flock license plate cameras as officials cite crime-solving gains
The license plates showed that the vehicle belonged to Skaggs and that, in September 2025, the Las Cruces Police Department had given her a citation for “racing on streets-exhibition driving.”
Investigators stated that a business on Picacho Ave. captured what they alleged was the same black Cadillac Escalade driving fast.
Then, the documents described how investigators tracked down the Escalade using OnStar’s live GPS tracking, discovering the SUV was at a property on the 5000 block of Northwind Road, which investigators said the Dona Ana County Assessors Office confirmed is a property owned by Skaggs.
On Tuesday, at around 6:41 p.m.– over 24 hours after the deadly hit-and-run– investigators executed a search warrant on the property and described finding the black Cadillac Escalade behind a home, under a red metal carport.
Investigators noted damage on the SUV consistent with the crash, highlighting that there was blood splatter near one of the front tires, markings on the front bumper consistent with hitting a bicycle and parts missing, which investigators said were the same parts found at the scene.
Dona Ana County jail records show Skaggs was booked on Wednesday afternoon and remains jailed without a bond.
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About Skaggs
On the official website of the Republican Party of New Mexico, Skaggs was listed as the treasurer before she was removed.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the Republican Party to learn more and are waiting for a comment regarding the arrest.
Also, according to election statistics, Skaggs ran for State Representative in District 36 in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Democrat Nathan P. Small.
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SANTA FE, N.M. – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asked Attorney General Raúl Torrez to investigate whether any Drug Enforcement Administration agents broke state law when pills reached New Mexico streets.
In a statement, Lujan Grisham said, “make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities.”
The governor also shared a timeline from 2022 to 2025 that she said shows when she asked federal officials for help with New Mexico’s fentanyl crisis and violent crime.
Lujan Grisham said the first request came on June 21, 2022, when she wrote to then-Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray and asked for 50 additional federal agents.
She said she wrote to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland on Sept. 15, 2022, asking for more agents, resources and support for New Mexico law enforcement.
Lujan Grisham said she wrote Garland a second time on Aug. 8, 2023, with the same request.
What came next?
About a month later, Lujan Grisham said she sent Garland a third letter and said New Mexico needed more federal law enforcement to curb violent crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
She said her most recent request came on Sept. 4, 2025, when she wrote to former Attorney General Pam Bondi and again asked for additional agents and resources.
The governor’s statement says those requests span several years as she pressed the federal government for more help in New Mexico.
Full statement from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham:
“I am appalled by reporting this week by the Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal that revealed federal authorities made a deliberate decision to let hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills flood into New Mexico communities, despite knowing that fentanyl is so lethal the White House has designated it a weapon of mass destruction.
Let me say that again: the Drug Enforcement Administration watched as 74,000 fentanyl pills were delivered to a mobile home park in Albuquerque, and they did nothing. And that’s just one transaction. Shockingly, the federal government stood by while monitoring shipments, tallying exact pill counts, and watching as these deadly drugs hit the streets.
There are no words to describe how reckless and dangerous these decisions were. Make no mistake: the DEA knew people would die if these pills made it into New Mexico communities, and the agency let it happen anyway. The result: hundreds of New Mexican parents burying their kids. Hundreds of New Mexican kids growing up without stable parents. All while the federal government stood by.
If the justification for letting these pills flood our communities was that it would somehow make New Mexico safer down the road through bigger eventual busts, the results say otherwise. New Mexico now leads the nation in the increase in overdose deaths for the second straight year, despite deaths dropping nationwide.
Today, I wrote to Attorney General Raúl Torrez and asked him to investigate whether any federal agents broke state law when they allowed lethal drugs to remain on our streets, and to prosecute anyone responsible — regardless of whether they are a federal agent or not.
I have spent years working across two administrations — writing letters, traveling to Washington, meeting directly with President Joe Biden and his cabinet, pushing for accountability, asking for more federal agents to be deployed to New Mexico to help fight this crisis.
- On June 21, 2022, I wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, imploring the FBI to assign no less than 50 additional agents to New Mexico to stem escalating drug trafficking and violent crime.
- On September 15, 2022, I wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting that the Department of Justice provide additional federal agents, resources and support to New Mexico law enforcement. We asked the department to match the level of investigative, analytical, and technical resources the FBI had deployed in its Buffalo, NY surge.
- On August 8, 2023, I wrote again to Attorney General Garland, renewing my request that the DOJ expeditiously assign more federal agents to New Mexico.
- On September 7, 2023, I wrote to Attorney General Garland for a third time, reiterating my request once more federal law enforcement support to curb violent crime, drug and human trafficking.
- On September 4, 2025, I wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi, once again requesting additional agents and resources.
I have declared the surge of drugs like fentanyl to be a public health emergency. I have deployed the National Guard to both Albuquerque and Española. While my administration was doing everything we could to stem the tide of fentanyl coming into our state, the federal government deliberately allowed it to flood in.
New Mexican lives are not the federal government’s cost of doing business.
I plan to hold the federal government accountable for this disaster and will explore every possible avenue of action against the federal government to right these wrongs.”
The Canyon Venado Fire has grown to 852 acres east of Clines Corners and crews say wind farms in the area are threatened.
CLINES CORNERS, N.M. – The Canyon Venado Fire has grown to 852 acres east of Clines Corners and crews say wind farms in the area are threatened.
The fire is burning just east of Clines Corners, south of Interstate 40.
It forced the closure of eastbound Interstate 40 at Clines Corners on Tuesday night. I-40 reopened Tuesday night. I-40 is back open but smoke still affects visibility.
“We’re on the side of I-40 so drivers have to be pretty cautious. As far as our establishment itself we’re pretty isolated by the freeway itself as a nice fire break,” said Lincoln Tarantino, Clines Corner general manager.
The fire has burned around 852 acres, up from just 20 at this time Monday.
Crews say the fire is not contained and wind farms in the area are threatened.
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