Leaf Brief: Get your judge on

Any remaining doubt that New Mexico is a full-fledged adult-use state should be dismissed now that High Times is here. Yeah, that High Times. The OG weed magazine has expanded its Cannabis Cup, People’s Choice Edition to the Land of Mañana. I’ll explain how you can be a judge and a little bit about what to expect below, but first, let’s get into what’s been going down locally since last month.

Plaza Encroachment: Cannabis company’s new downtown location would be the last within sight of the Plaza under city rules

Chatter from the industry has been somewhat optimistic, but we’re also hearing murmurs about the market getting too saturated. It sounds like that may not be a problem for the Plaza. Thanks to a city zoning rule requiring 400 feet between cannabis retail spots, a new shop from Best Daze has now essentially closed off the opportunity for any similar stores closer to the Plaza proper. That may not be a bad thing, though. Downtown, more broadly, has a pretty good number of dispensaries, plus some industry veterans are saying we’re at capacity.Best Daze will host a grand opening celebration on June 24.

Market Price

As cannabis businesses are expanding in the heart of the city, one in the bohemian town of Madrid is looking for a new owner. Sid and Medina Isbell, who launched CannaBliss about a year ago, are looking to pack up and move to Mexico. One market expert tells SFR this might be the best time to sell as the state teeters on the edge of oversaturation. CannaBliss was the first of two dispensaries to open in Madrid and boasts about its proclivity for natural and organic products.

Canna-Buy: Madrid’s first dispensary goes on the market

Teaching Terps

Veteran weed-heads know about the complexity of cannabis plants. Shoppers can find a whole bunch of knowledgeable budtenders out there these days, but one Santa Fe dispensary worker is taking steps to make learning about the plant more accessible.

Brian Monk, a musician who knew Dave Matthews way back when, moved to Santa Fe for the second time a few years ago and found himself behind the counter at KURE. He says he quickly realized how little the average new cannabis customer actually knew about what they were buying. His new project NM Higher Ed aims to break down specifics about things such as terpenes and other compounds in cannabis for folks who might be new to legal herb. Have a listen to this month’s Leaf Brief Podcast to hear how he went from an East Coast alt-rocker to Santa Fe canna-sseur.

Leaf Brief Podcast: Episode 6: Brian Monk went from a 1990s alt-rocker to Santa Fe budtender, but now he’s trying to educate the state’s weed smokers

You be the judge of that

As I mentioned above, High Times is offering judging kits for its Cannabis Cup, People’s Choice Edition....for a price. The prices vary from $79 to $199 depending on what category you’re judging. I stopped by Pecos Valley Production in Albuquerque over the weekend to get myself a kit so I could give readers an idea of what to expect, you know, for journalism.

My first piece of advice: It’s daunting. Get started.

The sativa flower judge kit came with 26 different strains from growers across the state, all 1 gram a piece. Judges have until Aug. 20 to submit their scores online, so I’m definitely going to take my time with it. But, it’s probably not a good idea to wait too long before you start cracking open those entries. I don’t think many people would want to blaze through 26 grams (just shy of an ounce) in a matter of days. So, treat this like a cross country race and not a sprint.

My second piece of advice: If you want to judge, act now.

A number of dispensaries are selling the judging kits around New Mexico, but they’re expected to go fast. The only Santa Fe location on the list is PurLife, 3140 Cerrillos Road, Ste. L.

My third piece of advice: Be deliberate and diligent.

For whatever reason, the judging portal doesn’t really track which entries you’ve already scored, so if you’re not tracking them yourself, there’s a really good chance you might judge some multiple times.

Stay tuned for updates from me and learn more about the competition here.

Shake: Odds and ends from New Mexico and beyond

• New Mexico cannabis manufacturer Mountain Top Extracts was featured in an Albuquerque Journal story last month. Owned and operated by Eric and Jennifer Merryman, the company has been making edibles and extracts since well before adult-use sales started and now are pushing for more education in the industry. I spoke with the Merrymans a few years ago along with my former podcast co-host Megan Kamerick.
• National cannabis company Schwazze will take over management of New Mexico company Everest Apothecary. That’s the second local operation the Colorado-based Schwazze has acquired. The first was R. Greenleaf.
• KRQE reports that the local cannabis industry accounts for about 4,000 jobs in the state.
• The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is considering dropping weed from the list of banned substances for athletes.
• The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division launched its “Yes and Know” educational campaign.

Word on the street

I’m hearing a lot of about growing tensions in the industry about the number of retail spots popping up all over the state. It sounds like things might be coming to a head, so keep your eyes on SFR’s website for updates later this week. Do you think there too many weed shops around? Too few? Don’t care? Drop a line.