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Cannabis FAQs for New Mexico
Answers to the questions our budtenders hear most about buying cannabis in New Mexico, medical cards and the law.
Is cannabis legal in New Mexico?
Yes. Medical cannabis has been legal since 2007 under the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act. The Cannabis Regulation Act made adult-use (recreational) cannabis legal in 2021, and licensed dispensaries began adult-use sales on April 1, 2022. Cannabis is still illegal under federal law, so never take it across state lines or onto federal land.
Do I need a medical card to buy cannabis?
No. Anyone 21 or older with a valid government photo ID can shop at any High Desert Relief dispensary in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Santa Fe or Hobbs. A medical card is still worth having if you qualify: patients don’t pay the state cannabis excise tax, can buy more, and can enroll at 18, or younger with a parent’s consent.
How do I get a New Mexico medical cannabis card?
Start with a medical provider, who certifies your qualifying condition and begins the application. You finish it in the Department of Health’s Online Patient Portal. Enrollment is free, approvals typically take about five business days, and cards are good for three years. See New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program for the steps.
What conditions qualify?
The program recognizes more than two dozen qualifying conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, PTSD, epilepsy and seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and opioid use disorder. The Department of Health keeps the current list, and your provider can tell you whether you qualify.
Can out-of-state medical patients shop at HDR?
Yes. New Mexico accepts valid medical cannabis cards from other states and U.S. territories through its reciprocity program. Reciprocal participants can buy up to 425 units in a rolling 90-day period, tax-free like New Mexico patients. Bring your out-of-state card and photo ID.
How much cannabis can I buy and carry?
Adults 21 and over can carry up to 2 ounces of cannabis, 16 grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams of edibles in public. Medical patients can buy up to 425 units every 90 days. Read Possession Limits for home storage, growing and where you can’t consume.
Where can I use cannabis?
At home or on other private property where it is allowed. Consuming in public places, in a vehicle, on school grounds or at work is against the law, and so is driving while impaired. Many apartments, hotels and employers have their own rules.
What is the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act?
It is the 2007 law that created New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program, allowing the beneficial use of medical cannabis in a regulated system to relieve symptoms of debilitating medical conditions and their treatment. The Department of Health runs the patient side of the program, and the Cannabis Control Division of the Regulation and Licensing Department licenses producers and dispensaries.
What is a “qualified patient”?
A qualified patient is a person diagnosed by a practitioner with a qualifying condition who has received written certification and a registry identification card under the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act.
What is medical cannabis?
Medical cannabis (also called medical marijuana) is the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, as a practitioner-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy. The plant has a long history of medicinal use, with records going back thousands of years.
Commonly reported benefits include relief from nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation for people going through chemotherapy or living with HIV/AIDS, lower eye pressure in glaucoma, and pain relief. Talk with your provider about what is right for you.
New to the vocabulary? Our cannabis glossary explains the terms. Still have a question? Contact us or drop in at one of our dispensary locations.
Still have a question?
Ask a budtender at any of our six dispensaries in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Hobbs. We're happy to walk you through it.
