No Toke Zone

Santa Fe National Forest issues 'reminder' on prohibition against cultivation or possession of marijuana on federal lands, subject to citation

Planning on sparking one on your next hike up the Winsor Trail? Watch out for the bark narcs. Even if the state of New Mexico is on your side.

The Santa Fe National Forest today announced that it has issued an order effective May 31 prohibiting "possessing, storing or transporting marijuana" within forest boundaries and warned that its law enforcement officers are authorized to issue misdemeanor citations to those who break the rules.

Forest spokeswoman Julie Anne Overton tells SFR that the agency's biggest concerns are about resource protection and public health and safety around marijuana cultivation on public property, and the loss of trees that accompanies it. But there's another reason:

"They did it as kind of a reminder of the status quo that possessing marijuana, even if it's medicinal marijuana, is still illegal on federal property," Overton says.

Marijuana possession, storage or transport in the forest is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor by a fine of no more than $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations and/or imprisonment for not more than six months, according to a press release.

Overton says it's not really a new rule but is intended to help law enforcement streamline responses to problems. "It's to renew something that is already in place," she says. "It's not like we have had a big in increase in incidents or arrests. It's a kind of paperwork thing."

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