Pub 18 2021 Issue 1

Issue 1 • 2021 19 O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S Th e marijuana legalization issue is certainly worth close examination. It shows how quickly public opinion can be shifted. In 2005, polling generally indicated that around 35% of Americans favored legalization, and around 65% did not. • Small cannabis microbusinesses, which can grow up to 200 plants, will grow, process and sell cannabis products all under a single license. The bill’s backers have said the separate license type will allow wider access to the new industry for entrepreneurs without access to significant capital. In addition to the legalization bill, New Mexico also passed SB 2, which expunges criminal records for cannabis convictions that are now legal and allows for individuals currently in custody for cannabis crimes to become eligible for resentencing. The accompanying expungement legislation is crucial. It ensures a more equitable future around cannabis and corrects many of the wrongs caused by its senseless prohibition. The marijuana legalization issue is certainly worth close examination. It shows how quickly public opinion can be shifted. In 2005, polling generally indicated that around 35% of Americans favored legalization, and around 65% did not. In recent national polling, figures are generally around 70% supporting legalization and around 30% against. In only 15 years, the American public has essentially done a complete about-face on the issue of marijuana legalization. There are numerous reasons for this, but, most notably, the relentless propaganda around marijuana has subsided, allowing American citizens to make more rational, informed decisions around the issue. American popular culture depicted marijuana for many years as having wildly hallucinatory effects. It also said the average marijuana user stayed permanently glued to the couch with no desire for education or employment. In recent years, however, it has become clear to many people that it’s entirely possible to be both a marijuana user and a highly functional member of society. Past depictions of marijuana users were, of course, broadly drawn stereotypes meant to obscure the real debate. Why is a substance that is certainly less dangerous than other legal substances being stigmatized and placed under prohibitive restrictions? A lot of the popular consensus around the illegality of marijuana had to do with myths and falsehoods. The more those myths began to be shattered, the more the American public began to be swayed on the issue. The passage and success of legal recreational marijuana in multiple states, including Colorado, certainly helped shatter some of the myths. Sometimes, to sway public opinion, something must be seen as “mainstream” and not part of some fringe outside culture before it can gain wide-scale public acceptance. That certainly seems to be the case with marijuana. Marijuana, like any substance, can be abused and not be ideal for certain individuals. But those points often don’t enter the equation when Americans discuss the legality of alcohol. Alcohol has been legal for so long that Americans accept it. We’ve been conditioned not to question its legality, so it has none of the caveats that exist with other substances. As marijuana use has become more mainstream in recent years, many of the caveats surrounding its use have been dropped. The dramatic shift in opinion around marijuana legalization shows how important it is for the public to be supplied with correct, objective information. When people are supplied with correct information not designed to propagandize, they tend to make more rational decisions around health care, the economy, drug policy and other important issues. Most people are not fundamentally irrational or illogical, but the propaganda they’re often inundated with can be. It’s encouraging to see a positive shift in public opinion around an issue because it shows it’s possible with myriad other issues if people are supplied with correct information. Another aspect of marijuana legalization worth examining is how elected officials can use their power and leverage to great effect. Unfortunately, in the United States, we often see elected officials using their power to solely benefit their largest donors or acting as if they don’t hold any power. When average Americans demand action from elected officials, the customary reactions tend to be along the lines of, “Forces far beyond my control don’t allow me to act. I wish I could, but I can’t.” Public officials are masters at feigning powerlessness. In both New York and New Mexico, power and leverage have been used to pass important legislation. In New York, Governor Cuomo felt pressure from his constituents and Legislature due to multiple scandals and, since he wanted to preserve his power, he enacted a popular measure. On the other hand, Governor Lujan Grisham used her power to pressure a reluctant legislature to pass an important legislative priority. In both cases, the pressure was exerted on elected officials using leverage and power. The New York Legislature exerted pressure on Governor Cuomo using its power, while Governor Grisham exerted pressure on the New Mexico Legislature using her leverage and power. New Mexicans should be heartened to learn that their governor is willing to use her position to enact legislation that is popular with huge percentages of the population. Citizens often feel completely left out of the legislative process, but Governor Lujan Grisham has reminded us how much power elected officials have to accomplish positive goals. Her success was the essence of being an elected official. n