Cannabis dispensary to open in Tijeras on April 20

TIJERAS, N.M. — Cannabis is coming to the Village of Tijeras and opinions differ depending on who you ask. 

“All the mountain needs more money, the small towns that we live in,” said Dixie Swenka, an East Mountain resident. 

The gross receipt taxes would bring a boost for the village.

“It brings work, it brings different people coming off the freeway,” said Mark Valdez, another East Mountain resident. 

But one business owner – who didn’t want to be identified – says he wishes there would’ve been more public input.

The Mayor of the Village of Tijeras, Jake Bruton says it’s mostly out of his hands. 

There was the issue of the daycare across the street last summer. It stood within the 300 feet from the proposed dispensary, and the state allows cities to govern as exclusionary zones.

The village signed off on it anyway, and now the daycare isn’t operating, so it’s a non-issue.

Roosevelt Middle School is nearby, but not so close it violates the law.

“We’ve worked with the owner extensively. He does not want to put large cannabis leaves across the front of it, he doesn’t want to do anything like that. Our signage ordinances in the village are pretty restrictive as well. They don’t intend to broadcast it like some of the places you see in the area,” said Bruton. 

The state lists one dispensary in north Cedar Crest, but none on the main drag through the canyon until you hit Edgewood.

“This was a unanimously decided issue by my council. They all understand the fact that we need more gross receipts, we want to promote small business in the community, and when we create the ordinance we approached it that way,” Bruton said. 

The company is called LDM, short for “Legal Drug Money.” 

The mayor says not to worry the signs will just say LDM. 

They are currently growing plants, and have all their security measures and licenses from the state ready to go. It turns out it’s a couple out-of-state brothers behind this new business.

“I think the proximity that we are to the police station was a good fit for us too as business owners. I think we’re less than 30 yards away from where they are, because we only want to do positive things for that community,” said Carey Hayes, a LDM owner. 

They say the governor welcoming minority-owned cannabis business owners helped them pick New Mexico. 

The Hayes Brothers say they’re from Baltimore and their mom is Native American, and their dad was African American. 

They are shooting to open on the biggest marijuana holiday, April 20.