LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico pharmacy that shares a wall with a school lost its bid to sell cannabis but says the fight is not over. Pharmtrue in Las Cruces says they want to expand from CBD products to cannabis now that it is legal to sell in New Mexico. “Laws recreationalizing cannabis in New Mexico happened fast. We weren’t necessarily anticipating it for the location, but obviously it created a big economic opportunity for us,” said Joaquin Acosta, owner of Pharmtrue and pharmacist.
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They say they would not advertise in their public retail space and all sales would happen in a discreet back room. The business applied for an exemption to the rule requiring a 300-foot buffer between cannabis businesses and schools.
Officials from The New America School, the alternative high school next door, say they are worried about drug sales in the parking lot. “if our students wander out and someone’s gone in there and bought something, will they sell to our students?” asked Susie Kimble, The New America School.
The Las Cruces Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to deny the pharmacy’s request. The owners of Pharmtrue say they plan to appeal the decision to city council.
