Cannabis seizures at checkpoints by US-Mexico border frustrate state-authorized pot industry
Fox News
The U.S. Border Patrol has asserted its authority to confiscate cannabis shipments as New Mexico businesses file complaints that more than $300,000 worth of marijuana has been seized.
Authorized cannabis sales in New Mexico have exceeded $1 billion since regulation and taxation of the recreational market began two years ago. Yet cannabis transport drivers say they have been detained hours while supplies are seized at permanent Border Patrol checkpoints that filter inbound traffic for unauthorized migrants and illegal narcotics, typically located about 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the U.S. border.
"Secretary Mayorkas assured the governor that federal policies with respect to legalized cannabis have not changed," said Lujan Grisham spokesperson Michael Coleman in an email. "Regardless, the governor and her administration are working on a strategy to protect New Mexico’s cannabis industry."