EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The U.S. Border Patrol is reminding people passing through New Mexico that possession of marijuana is still a federal offense.
The warning comes a few days after licensed retailers in New Mexico began dispensing marijuana for recreational purposes and residents of neighboring states like Texas crossed the state line to purchase cannabis products.
The Border Patrol operates highway checkpoints in New Mexico on Interstate 10 near Deming, north of Las Cruces, south of Alamogordo and north of Columbus, among others. Agents there primarily check for immigration documents of people traveling to the interior of the United States, but they also make drug seizures under Title 21 authority of the U.S. Code.
“Border Patrol agents have drug enforcement authority. Marijuana is still a prohibited drug under Schedule 1 of The United States Controlled Substances Act. Therefore, U.S. Border Patrol agents will continue to take appropriate enforcement action against those who are encountered in possession of marijuana anywhere in the United States,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.
The New Mexico state police earlier also warned marijuana consumers that it’s illegal to drive under the influence of a drug. The New Mexico recreational marijuana law allows people to consume cannabis products in their homes or in lawfully designated areas, only.
If you know of illegal drug activity along the border, you can call CBP at 1-800-635-2509.
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