Albuquerque City Council Approves Marijuana Equity Tax to Fund Guaranteed Income and Addiction Programs
The Albuquerque City Council has narrowly approved a marijuana equity tax, which will generate $4 million in revenue from recreational cannabis sales. The funds will be allocated to support a guaranteed income program and substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.
The guaranteed income program, funded by $2 million, will provide $750 per month for three years to 100 low-income families living in the International District or West Side, with children enrolled in Whittier or Carlos Rey elementary schools.
The remaining $2 million will be used to support substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery programs run by the city’s Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department. The department plans to partner with six programs from five organizations to combat addiction.
The policy was crafted by the Keller administration and sponsored by City Councilor Klarissa Peña, who also sponsored an ordinance in October 2023 to utilize the findings of the city’s Cannabis Equity Working Group. The working group was formed in 2021 to determine how to use the tax revenue.
Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, praised the initiative, saying it will create movement for communities historically marginalized by the war on drugs. He noted that the suggestions for allocation came from a forward-thinking working group over the course of a couple of years.
New Mexico legalized recreational cannabis use in 2021, and sales have surpassed $1 billion statewide. The city’s approval of the marijuana equity tax is seen as a step towards addressing the social and economic impacts of the war on drugs.
