New Mexico legalized cannabis sales on April 1, so how is that going to impact West Texas?

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, recreational dispensaries are now just over an hour away from Midland/Odessa in Hobbs, and reports from the first weekend of sales show that New Mexico sold $5.2 million in that first weekend of legalizing cannabis sales.

The first day of adult-use sales in New Mexico was almost double what Colorado sold on its first day of legalization.

The estimated annual sales generated in New Mexico are expected to be around $300 million and state revenue from those sales is expected to be around $50 million by this time next year.

Not only is it going to generate more money, but it will also create around 11,000 jobs.

The PurLife Dispensary is located in Hobbs and opened on January 29, it is less than 20 miles from the Texas state line.

“We have seen an increase in sales in general just because of the recreational legalization,” manager Chelsea Daniel said. “We do see out-of-state patients but we always advise those out-of-state customers to follow all state regulations and laws and not to cross state lines with our products.”

PurLife sales at the Hobbs location have increased 180% since recreational use was legalized in New Mexico and they are doing a lot of pre-packaging to get ready for the 4/20 holiday.

If you are wondering why 420 is so commonly used with cannabis, it is as simple as this: Back in the 1970s, a group of California teenagers would get together at 4:20 every afternoon to smoke marijuana. The ritual spread and 420 became code for smoking marijuana leading to the date 4/20 becoming a day of celebration. Simple as that.

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

15 Ways You Can Help People in Ukraine Right Now

As Americans watch events unfold in Ukraine, many wonder how they can help. Below is a list of organizations responding to the crisis in Ukraine along with information on how you can support their various missions. 

More From Mix 97.9 FM