Albuquerque Mayor Signs Marijuana Decriminalization Ordinance Into Law
The mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico has signed into law an ordinance that decriminalizes the personal possession of marijuana.
The new law, approved by the city council earlier this month in a 5 to 4 vote, makes the possession of up to an ounce (28 grams) of marijuana a simple $25 ticket. It was signed into law today by Mayor Tim Keller (D). A similar proposal was vetoed by then-Mayor Richard Berry (R) in 2015.
“At the end of the day, our police officers have more important things to do”, says Councilmember Pat Davis, who filed the measure with Councilmember Isaac Benton. Davis compares the ticket that would be given to those possessing an ounce or less of marijuana to a traffic ticket.
Albuquerque is by far the most populated city in New Mexico with roughly 560,000 residents, roughly a fourth of all residents in New Mexico (which has a population of slightly over 2 million).