Curry finalizes cannabis ordinance for unincorporated areas – The Eastern New Mexico News

Commissioner Chet Spear, who opposed marijuana in all respect, opposed both ordinances.

Commissioners contemplated onerous restrictions, and Doerr warned any effort to treat marijuana more harshly than alcohol without data-based reasoning would create a tenuous legal position where the county treats citizens differently based on their drug of choice.

The sheriff’s office is currently down six positions, Waller said, and adding cannabis as a legal substance means deputies would be dealing with another impaired driving threat.

Spear later suggested moving closing times back to 8 p.m., but also said he’d allow just one hour of operation per day if he thought it would survive a court challenge.

A restriction keeping cannabis establishments 1,000 feet away from each other was originally just 200 feet, but was increased as Spear aimed to keep the stretch of U.S.

…Read the full story