CALL TO ACTION: Contact Senators to Oppose Removal of Water Protections in Cannabis Bill

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Please contact the Senate NOW to remove the Senate Judiciary Committee amendment to SB 100 Cannabis Regulation!! There will like be a vote on the Senate Floor MONDAY.  When the original Cannabis Regulation Act was passed in 2021, NMAA advocated for water protections as a condition of obtaining a cannabis producer license. The protections are to prevent illegal uses of water.  IT IS URGENT that we contact the full Senate to remove the SJC amendment, which was made in the Senate Judiciary Committee WITHOUT ANY TRANSPARENCY or opportunity for PUBLIC COMMENT.

Cut and Paste Subject: Keep Water Protections in Cannabis Regulation Act
 
Cut and paste to all the Senators:

greg.baca@nmlegis.gov, craig.brandt@nmlegis.gov, bill.burt@nmlegis.gov, “Campos, Pete” <pete.campos@nmlegis.gov>, “Candelaria, Jacob” <jacob.candelaria@nmlegis.gov>, joseph.cervantes@nmlegis.gov, crystal.diamond@nmlegis.gov, katy.duhigg@nmlegis.gov, “David Gallegos (david.rsi@hotmail.com)” <david.rsi@hotmail.com>, roberto.gonzales@nmlegis.gov, ron.griggs@nmlegis.gov, carrie.hamblen@nmlegis.gov, siah.hemphill@nmlegis.gov, martin.hickey@nmlegis.gov, stuart.ingle@nmlegis.gov, daniel.ivey-soto@nmlegis.gov, “Jaramillo, Leo” <leo.jaramillo@nmlegis.gov>, gay.kernan@nmlegis.gov, linda.lopez@nmlegis.gov, brenda.mckenna@nmlegis.gov, mark.moores@nmlegis.gov, george.munoz@nmlegis.gov, steven.neville@nmlegis.gov, oneillsd13@billoneillfornm.com, “Ortiz y Pino, Jerry” <jortizyp@msn.com>, michael.padilla@nmlegis.gov, shannon.pinto@nmlegis.gov, cliff.pirtle@nmlegis.gov, harold.popejr@nmlegis.gov, nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov, Joshua Sanchez <jas4nm@gmail.com>, gregg.schmedes@nmlegis.gov, a.sedillolopez@nmlegis.gov, bill@williamsharer.com, “Shendo, Benny” <benny.shendo@nmlegis.gov>, bill.soules@nmlegis.gov, Liz Stefanics <lstefanics@msn.com>, jeff.steinborn@nmlegis.gov, bill.tallman@nmlegis.gov, Peter Wirth <peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov>, pat.woods@nmlegis.gov, mimi.stewart@nmlegis.gov, leojaramillo76@gmail.com, lopez4148@msn.com, asedillolopez@gmail.com

Cut and Paste Sample message:
Dear Senators,
We stand in firm opposition to the amendment made to SB 100 in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The amendment was made with no public notice and no opportunity for public comment. It is an amendment that removes critical water protections from the Cannabis Regulation Act, which was passed in 2021. The purpose of the water protections was to ensure that license applicants have valid water rights and are in compliance with local water provider rules. We ask that the Senate remove this amendment in a SENATE FLOOR AMENDMENT and that the issue of water rights be addressed during the legislative interim.
We know that these protections are necessary because other states with legal cannabis (California, Oregon, Colorado, etc.) are struggling with illegal water uses. In New Mexico, many new producers mistakenly believe they can:
1) use domestic wells for commercial production,
2) pump surface water from acequias or rivers without a valid water right,
3) use residential water from mutual domestics for commercial production.
New Mexico is in a historic drought when we need more careful stewardship of our limited water resources. By removing the water protections, the State Legislature will be unleashing an industry in rural New Mexico where local institutions such as mutual domestics, acequias, and small towns need guardrails at the state level to avoid exploitation of limited water resources, especially finite groundwater. We are urging you to remove this amendment and allow time for more analysis during the legislative interim.
(your name and acequia/water institution/organization)

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