New Mexico withdraws licenses of 2 cannabis growers, forces fines for violations
(MENAFN) In a significant regulatory move, New Mexico's marijuana oversight authorities have taken decisive action against two cannabis cultivation entities located in a rural county, revoking their licenses due to a myriad of violations. Furthermore, each of these businesses faces a staggering USD1 million fine as a consequence of their regulatory transgressions. One of the entities embroiled in this enforcement action is the Native American Agricultural Development Co., which has ties to a Navajo entrepreneur previously targeted by federal authorities in 2020. The business operations associated with this individual were subject to federal raids, and subsequent legal actions by the Navajo Department of Justice resulted in a court-ordered cessation of their activities.
Adding another layer of complexity to this situation, a cohort of Chinese immigrant workers lodged allegations against Dineh Benally and his associates. The workers asserted that they were deceived into relocating to northern New Mexico under false pretenses and subsequently coerced into laborious, illicit cannabis trimming activities on the Navajo Nation, where cannabis cultivation remains prohibited. The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division's public notice elucidated several regulatory infractions attributed to Native American Agricultural Development, including surpassing the state-mandated plant count limits, failing to adequately monitor and trace inventory, and perpetuating hazardous working conditions.
In response to these severe violations, immediate actions were initiated against both businesses, mandating an abrupt cessation of all commercial cannabis operations. The other enterprise facing license revocation, Bliss Farm, operates in proximity to Benally's establishment but lacks any direct affiliations. Commenting on the enforcement actions, Clay Bailey, the acting superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, expressed profound concern over the flagrant violations observed at these farms. Bailey emphasized the detrimental impact of such illicit activities, undermining the commendable efforts of compliant cannabis businesses statewide and demonstrating a concerning disregard for public health, safety, and regulatory compliance.
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