One visit to Albuquerque in my early 20s convinced me that I wanted to live in the city someday, in part to see the picturesque Sandia Mountains in the distance while driving to work.
Now that I live in Albuquerque, I take the natural environment of New Mexico for granted. I never got to see deserts and interact with desert wildlife long term until moving to New Mexico a few years ago for work. It’s wonderful knowing that I can get in a car and drive east on Interstate 40 if I want to visit my family in Amarillo, Texas. Taking Interstate 25 will lead you to Santa Fe before snaking its way into southern Colorado. I love all of the Native American shops in Old Town as well, which is a wonderful place to take guests from out of state or out of town if they’re seeing Albuquerque for the first time. But right now all I can think about is the fact that I can actually buy recreational cannabis in New Mexico without needing a medical marijuana card. The existing medical cannabis dispensaries in the city can now sell their products to anyone over 21, but there’s a 12% tax on all recreational marijuana sales. Previously medical cannabis in New Mexico was taxed between 5% and 9%, but these were removed with the legalization of recreational cannabis. The number of pot stores in Albuquerque is growing, especially in places like Uptown, Nob Hill, West Mesa, and Old Town. It’s nice driving across Interstate 25 and knowing there’s a marijuana store at nearly every single exit if I look on my phone. There has never been a better time to live in Albuquerque if you’re a cannabis user.