KRQE: ABQ city councilor weighs in on mislabeling of marijuana products

SOURCE: KRQE TV

EXCERPT:

A lucrative scheme is infiltrating New Mexico. That’s what a four-month-long Larry Barker investigation uncovered after finding local retailers selling disguised bootleg marijuana in packaging labeled as “hemp.” A city councilor is now joining the fight.

While hemp and marijuana both come from the cannabis plant, they differ drastically in their chemical composition and legal status. So, when marijuana is slipped into hemp-labeled products, it’s not only illegal, it’s unsafe.   

While legislators are pushing for reform at the state level, Councilor Dan Lewis is echoing the sentiment in Albuquerque. “We have retailers that are selling intoxicating hemp to, really, the children in the city of Albuquerque, and it should be banned,” said Dan Lewis, Albuquerque City Council.

The proposal would ban synthetic cannabinoids exceeding zero-point-three percent of THC.

The ordinance would also authorize the Albuquerque Police Department and Environmental Health Department to conduct immediate enforcement through penalties and petty misdemeanor charges, with the possibility of license revocation. Retailers would also need to put up mandatory signs clarifying that the sale of intoxicating hemp products is prohibited under Albuquerque law.